With its crisp outer shell and perfect, creamy center, avocado-cream cheese wontons are worth the effort. Enlist your dinner guests to help with the folding and make it fun!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups vegetable oil
• 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 large ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and cut into ¼-inch dice
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons chopped green onions, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 (12-ounce) package thin square won ton wrappers
• 1 large egg + 1 teaspoon water, lightly beaten
• Cilantro-Lime Dipping Sauce, recipe follows

Cilantro-Lime Dipping Sauce

• ¾ cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Juice and pulp of 2 limes
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Get Started: 

Step 1: For Cilantro Lime Dipping Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients and allow sauce to rest for 10 minutes before tasting and adjusting flavor as necessary.  Pour into individual dipping bowls and serve withwontons.

Step 2:  Preheat oven to 250°F. 

Step 3:  Heat oil in a medium heavy saucepan over moderate heat until it registers 350°F on deep-fat thermometer. 

Step 4:  While oil is preheating, in a large bowl whip the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the diced avocado and mix until well combined.  Gently fold in ½ cup chopped green onions and mix together.  Season with salt and pepper and taste, adjusting seasoning if necessary. 

Step 5:  Lightly brush two sides of the wonton wrapper with egg wash, then put one heaping teaspoon of filling in center of each.  Fold filled wontons in half to form triangles, pressing gently around filling to seal completely and eliminate any air bubbles.   (If there are any pockets of air, wontons may burst and/or leak when fried.)  Keep unused wonton skins covered with a damp paper towel so they don’t dry out and repeat with remaining wrappers and filling until gone. 

Step 5:  When oil is preheated, fry wontons, 3 – 4 at a time, turning once, until golden brown, approximately 45 – 60 seconds.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer wontons to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and keep warm in the oven while you finish remaining wontons.  (Return oil to 350°F between batches.)  Repeat frying with remaining wontons.  Remove wontons from the oven and onto a serving plate.  Garnish with remaining 2 tablespoons green onions and serve alongside Cilantro-Lime Dipping Sauce.