RECIPE: Gingered Banana Pineapple Wontons

[caption id="attachment_62446" align="alignnone" width="660"] One bite gone wonton[/caption]

I am not a dessert person. I owned a catering business and farmed out the making of desserts to another company because I dislike making them so much. I never finished my Halloween candy, and even now as an adult, I can make a less than two ounce bag of M&Ms last a week.

But this week, I made dessert. Inspired by the last banana in the bunch and my love of ginger paste, I created a dessert which was not too sweet, super easy to make, and easily addictive. Four wontons and the five-spice caramel sauce make an excellent dessert or you can use it as a garnish on ice cream or pudding.

Gingered Banana Pineapple Wontons

1 ripe banana
¼ c pineapple [I used thawed out frozen, but fresh would probably be better]
1 T ginger paste
½ t lemon juice [to preserve color]
16 wonton wrappers
Water
2 T coconut oil [for frying]

For the Five Spice Caramel:

¼ c brown sugar
1 T water
½ t lemon juice
1/8 t five spice powder
1 t butter

Place banana, pineapple, and ginger paste into a food processor

Pulse until a chunky paste is formed
Place about 2 teaspoons of the paste on one half of a wonton wrapper
Rub edges with water and fold over, pressing down to seal

I make triangles by filling on one half of the wrappers diagonal

In a heavy sauce pan [I use cast iron for its even heat and ability to hold temperature]. Melt the two tablespoons of coconut oil over medium heat
Place wontons into the oil, and cook until the edges begin to brown and become crispy—about 15 seconds depending on how hot your stove is then turn over and repeat on the other side for another 15 seconds
Do not crowd them in the pan, work in small batches [for me it was three at a time]
Remove and place on paper towels to drain

For the Caramel Sauce:

In a separate pot, place brown sugar, water, lemon juice, and five spice.
Over medium low temperature stir until sugar melts and bubbles begin to form on the surface—about three to four minutes.

For larger amounts of caramel, it takes longer and you should use a candy thermometer, but we are only making a small amount as a garnish

Stir in butter until it is melted.
Place wontons on a plate and drizzle with the caramel as above, or serve as a garnish on ice cream

[caption id="attachment_62450" align="alignnone" width="660"] Place the wanton into the bowl with the ice cream and drizzle with the caramel. Be forewarned, since you have just made real caramel, it will thicken quickly in contact with the ice cream.[/caption]

Makes 16 wontons.

The five-spice can be purchased at your local grocery store. However, I actually went to the Cho Eden supermarket at the Eden Center in Falls Church, VA for the ginger paste and the wonton wrappers. I also purchased a lot of other exciting [well, to me] ingredients and snacks.

I had to stop myself from eating the whole half batch I made before I left the kitchen counter. I think I am a sweet and tart girl. And this just hit the spot. Hope it will for you and yours as well.