Are these about the cutest little Halloween-themed appetizer you have ever seen, or what? They are also something that your kids can help you make, as anyone can quickly learn how to fold these into bat shapes and make their ears stand at attention.

Decorating them is probably best left to adults or older children, however, as precise placement is required. Perhaps once the basic placements are made, younger children could put on the finishing touches.

These zippy little bats can also be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator. Then you can fry them on the day of your party.

 

INGREDIENTS

1 pkg. (16 oz.) egg-roll wrappers, like Nasoya

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese with chives and onions**

1 qt. corn oil (see Quick Tip)

5 pitted black olives, sliced

2 Tbsp. pink peppercorns

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Place 6 wrappers on clean work surface. Place 1 Tbsp. cream cheese in center of each wrapper. Fill small bowl with water. Using pastry brush, lightly moisten edges of each wrapper with water.

Bring 1 corner of wrapper up over cream cheese filling to meet opposite corner. Fold point back over filling to form triangle, dampening edges and pressing together to seal. Gently pull ends up on both sides of wrapper to create wings. Repeat shaping with remaining wontons. Fill large pot with corn oil. Heat oil to 350°F. Fry bats in batches 2 min., or until crisp and golden, turning once. Let cool.

Place remaining cream cheese in piping bag fitted with small round tip; pipe dots on bats for adhering eyes and mouth. Place sliced olives on bats for eyes. Pipe cream cheese dot on each olive. Using tweezers, add pink peppercorns for pupils and mouth. Arrange bats on serving platter and serve with duck sauce, like Saucy Susan, if desired.

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Quick Tip:  The recipe calls for frying in corn oil, which is definitely not the healthiest choice, as it is very high in polyunsaturated fats, which form harmful compounds when heated. Better alternatives are canola oil or peanut oil. Also, never fill a pot more than ½ full of oil if you are going to be frying, as there is a danger that the oil will bubble up and overflow when you place ingredients into the oil.

Recipe and image courtesy of First for Women