The year of the dragon, may it bring you good fortune!
- Dragon Wonton
A few weeks ago I attended Chinese New Year Potluck in NYC. The event was hosted by the talented duo Jackie and Ken , who spared no expense creating fantastic food and decorating the studio with adorable party favors and a Dragon hologram gracing the wall. Very cool. I’m extending a huge thanks of gratitude to our sponsor Tigerbeer who graciously donated the studio space and drinks for this intimate affair.
- Pear & Ginger Honey Wonton Napolitano
To attend we all committed to making a dish, this is a potluck after-all. I have to travel a bit when attending gatherings in NYC, so I needed to create something that would travel well; easy to serve and taste mighty good.
- Bowl of Fruit
After several attempts at a variety of fruit wontons, I consulted with my eight wise men of Confucius (below) and arrived with these tasty Dragon Wonton desserts.
Confucius Wise Men
Pear Ginger Honey Wonton Napolitano
Here’s what you’ll need:
3 asian pears
3 forreill pears
2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger root
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 cup water
1/4 cup honey and extra for brushing wonton
1 stick salted butter
14 wonton wraps
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Banana Chocolate Walnut Wonton Stacks
6 bananas
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves
3/4 stick butter
Chocolate syrup to drizzle
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped finely
14 wontons wrappers
For the pears:
Slice off the bottom of each pear just enough so it will stand upright. Peel the entire pear leaving the stem and skin at the top. Rub with butter, place in sauces pan, add water, ginger, honey and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, set aside to cool once done.
For the bananas:
Slice bananas 1/8 inch thick, place in a medium saucepan along with vanilla, nutmeg, cloves and butter sautee for 10 minutes on low heat, untill banana are tender and cooked.
For the honey baked wontons:
Cut the wontons diagonally from one corner to the other. Brush with honey and place on a lightly greased baking sheet, bake for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden in color. (They bake quickly – so keep an eye on them). Remove from oven, allow to cool a few minutes on baking sheet, transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Stacking your Pear & Ginger Wontons:
Once the pears have cooked, slice them very thin about 1/8 of inch or thinner. Begin stacking your fruit wontons placing a honey baked wonton on the first layer, add a slice of asian pear, followed by a slice of forreill pear, add the second layer of honey baked wonton, followed by a slice of asian pear and finally top with forreill pear. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Stacking the Banana Chocolate Walnut Wontons:
Begin layering a honey baked wonton, add a layer of bananas – two, sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Add another layer of honey baked wonton, bananas, chopped walnuts and drizzle with chocolate syrup.
- Ginger Pear and Banana Chocolate Walnut Wontons
I had a wonderful time as always catching up with friends, making new ones, and eating some of the most delicious food this side of the east coast. The menu at this affair was amazing! Check out the fabulous blogger’s posts of dishes served and get these tasty recipes for yourself.
- Jackie - Toasted Black & White Sesame Chocolate Bark and Chocolate Dipped Kumquats
- Ken - Sesame Gold Nugget and Auspicious Walnut Cookies
- Kathy - Duck Pancakes
- Kirsty - homemade Fortune Cookies
- Kristen - Kung Pao Chicken
- Dan - Five-Spice Almond Cake
- Sarah - Chicken Curry
- Maggy’s - Honey Walnut Shrimp
- Justin - Philippine Adobo
I regret that I did not take photo’s at Chinese New Year Potluck, I mingled and ate the entire time. I encourage you to head over to Ken and Jackie’s sites and look through the amazing photo journal of the entire event. Hope to see you next time!
