Fruit Pot Stickers

From Sara Moulton's Everyday Family Dinners (Simon & Schuster, 2010), these inventive (and adorable) dessert pot stickers are a wonderful way to use up end-of-summer stone fruits like plums and nectarines. Take care to adhere to Moulton’s cooking instructions, however, which guarantee crispy bottoms and a sweet sauce to top off the works.

Ingredients:
1 large plum or 1 medium nectarine
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
12 wonton wrappers (3 1/2 by 3 inches)
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
Sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (optional)

Directions:
1. Cut the plum or nectarine lengthwise into 6 wedges and then halve each piece crosswise to make a total of 12 pieces. Toss the fruit with 1 tablespoon sugar and the lemon juice in a medium bowl.

2. Spread out the wonton wrappers on a work surface. Place a piece of plum in the center of each. Reserve any juices in the bowl. Brush the edges of each wrapper with water; lift two opposite corners of each wrapper and press together above the center of the piece of plum; bring the other two opposite corners up and press them together. You should have shaped the wonton into a little pyramid with the piece of plum inside. Pinch the wrapper together very tightly at the seams to make sure it is well sealed.

3. Heat the vegetable oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until bubbly, then arrange the pot stickers, seam sides up, in the skillet. Cook them for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bottoms are pale golden. Add 1/3 cup water, reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet with a lid, and cook for 5 minutes.

4. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar over the pot stickers and cook, covered, for 1 to 2 minutes more, or until the liquid has evaporated. (Add more water and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more if the wonton wrappers are not tender.) Remove the lid and continue to cook until the bottoms of the pot stickers are crisp and golden. Gently loosen the pot stickers from the pan and lift them out onto a serving plate. Stir 1/4 cup water into any juices left in the bowl in which the fruit was tossed. Add the mixture to the skillet, bring it to a boil, scraping up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan, and drizzle the liquid over the pot stickers. Serve hot with a spoonful of sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Makes 12 pot stickers, or 4 servings

Excerpted from Sara Moulton’s Everyday Family Dinners © 2010, by Sara Moulton. Reprinted with permission of Simon & Schuster.

Behold! The Grandparents.com Recipe section includes many more fruity dessert ideas, like Fresh Fruit Picks with Two Dips.