Crab Rangoon

This year I'd like a classic appetizer for New Year's Eve. Something savory, fancy but approachable and addictive. Crab Rangoon came to mind. After reading recipe after recipe, I sensed the versions "out there" weren't going to be super flavorful. Most were just cream cheese, crab and scallions. After much recipe searching I discovered that Cheesecake Factory released their recipe in November 2020. I was so excited to make a favorite appetizer of theirs at home! Taking their recipe to heart, I modified it ever so slightly to lighten it up so I can ring in the new year.

These are fabulous! Creamy, savory, sweet, tangy, crispy and flavorful. The best part is these aren't deep fried, rather they're air fried. Brushing both sides of the wontons with a thin veil of egg wash gave the wonton skins their customary bubbled, crispy exterior. These taste deep fried but aren't. 

I used Oxo's 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the crab mixture out but any tablespoon measurer will do. I didn't have water chestnuts but I think they're a must in this. The calorie count below doesn't include the water chestnuts.

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RECIPE:

Makes 25.

Per wonton: 47 cals/2g total fat/1.3g saturated fat/5.3g carbs/.8g sugar/2g protein

INGREDIENTS:

4 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1 ounce Sweet Chili Sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
5 ounces crab meat 
1 ounce minced green onions
2 ounces sliced water chestnuts, minced [I omitted b/c I didn't have]
1 ounce part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 ounce parmesan cheese, grated 
1 ounce panko breadcrumbs
25 small square wonton wrappers
1 beaten egg, for egg wash

Avocado cooking spray

1. Whip the cream cheese a bit to add some air, then add sweet chili sauce, mustard, garlic salt, lemon juice, and granulated sugar into a mixing bowl. Fold the ingredients together until thoroughly combined.

2. Add the crab meat, minced water chestnuts and chopped green onions into the bowl. Continue folding the ingredients together until thoroughly combined.

3. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese and panko breadcrumbs into the bowl and gently fold until thoroughly combined. 

4. Place the wonton skins onto a clean work surface or cutting board. Cover the skins you aren't using with a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out. Brush interior of wonton skin with scant amount of water.  Place 1 tablespoon of filling onto the center of each wrapper. Lift the bottom and top flat edges of the wrapper up over the filling. Pinch the center sections of the top and bottom edges tightly together. Lift the left and right flat edges of the wrapper up over the filling. Carefully pinch the center sections of the left and right flat edges tightly together with the pinched center section of the top and bottom edges. Lightly brush exterior with egg wash.

5. Preheat air fryer to 340 degrees for 5 minutes. Spritz basket with avocado cooking spray. Air fry for 6 minutes, turning ounce or until crispy. 

6. Serve with extra sweet chili sauce.

Recipe modified from Cheesecake Factory.