Jalapeño Popper Wontons

     If you remember my Nutella stuffed wontons, you'll know that whenever I feel like doing a quick experiment in fusion cuisine, wontons are a safe bet. You can put anything in them, sweet or savory,  and you have a pretty good chance of getting a delicious result. You'll also know that I will never fry a wonton again in my life. Baking them works just as well or better and is much healthier. So today, I was cooking a Mexican themed dinner and decided to make some jalapeño poppers out of wonton wrappers. For the filling, I used one medium-sized pepper and the result was what I would call a medium level of heat. Keeping in mind that I have a higher tolerance for spicy foods than do most people, you can choose to use 1/2 of a pepper for a mild flavor or up to 2 peppers for an extra hot version.

INGREDIENTS:
16 wonton wrappers
1 8-oz block of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
about 1 medium jalapeño pepper, chopped with the seeds removed

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 and lightly grease a cookie sheet.
2. CAREFULLY slice open the jalapeño, remove the seeds, and chop it really small. Use gloves or paper towels to avoid touching the pepper as much as possible, and NEVER touch the seeds or veins! Trust me, I accidentally did that once and my hands were on fire for 2 days. Not fun. Capsaicin is no joke.
3. In a small bowl, mix the jalapeño pieces and the cheddar into the cream cheese using a fork.

4. Plop a little bit of this mixture onto the center of each wonton square, then use your finger to spread a drop of water along all four sides. Fold it into a triangle, and then crimp the edges with another few drops of water until they stick.

5. Bake at 400 for 13-15 minutes. As you'd expect, the outside will be crunchy and the middle will be chewy.

Enjoy! And come back tomorrow for a very similar side dish!