猫耳朵/Sweet Fried Wontons

Saturday, some friends had a dinner party, and I chose to bring something that could act as either a sweet appetizer or a dessert. 猫耳朵 (loosely translated as "cat ears" - take that, Andrew) are a kind of deep-fried wonton with red bean paste filling that is absolutely delicious. I think they're best piping hot from the fryer, but they're also pretty yummy after they've cooled.

Time: 0:30
Serves: 15-20

Ingredients
1 can thick red bean paste (if it's too watery, the texture won't be as good)
1 package thin wonton wrappers
a lot of oil
some water

1. Fold about a teaspoon of red bean paste into each wonton wrapper. I dabbed my finger in water and circled the wrapper right around the bean paste, before folding it in half and sealing the bean paste inside without completely sealing the wrapper together like for normal wontons. You can fold them into whatever shapes please you - I'll put some suggestions in the variations section.

2. Heat up the oil in a wok - make sure you've put enough oil in to cover the wontons. When it's hot, put in NO MORE than five wontons at a time (too many will cool down the oil too much). Flip them if you feel the need to, but make sure you take them out just as they start to brown (about a minute). Set them on a paper towel soak up the excess oil.

Variations
After sealing the wrapper, fold it in half the same way, then bring the two corners (on the fold) together, dab a little water on the corners, and seal them together. This is the cat ear.
After sealing the wrapper, just bring the two corners corners on the fold together and seal together, without folding in half. This looks more like a crown.
Seal along a diagonal and bring the corners on the fold together and seal together. This looks like a bishops hat.
Use homemade red bean paste (another post, another time :) or some other filling (chocolate, lotus seed paste, what have you). The variations really are endless. It's sweet, it's fried, it's pretty - people will like it by definition.
To avoid frying, try baking it on wax/parchment paper at 275F. I've found it difficult to get the wrapper to bake without the bean paste liquidating and oozing out, so it might be easier to press the wrappers into a muffin pan (so you form little cups) and spoon some bean paste into it.