Ingredients
4 cups vegetable oil for frying
8 slices thick cut white bread
Filling
6 ounces (3/4 package) cream cheese, softened
2 medium jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
herbs (oregano, basil, thyme) and garlic to taste (optional)
Batter
1 large egg
1 cup flour
1 cup & 1 tbsp water (can substitute beer or milk)
1 dash garlic powder(optional)
Powdered sugar for dusting
Berry preserves(blueberry, raspberry, strawberry or lingonberry)for dipping
Preparation
Heat 4 cups vegetable oil in a deep-fryer, wok or large saucepan to 360 degrees F (182 degrees C). Mix cream cheese, cheddar, jalapeno peppers (& herbs and garlic if using)and set aside. If you wish, you may blanch jalapenos in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute if you prefer less crunch in your sandwich. Mix egg, flour, water & garlic powder (if using) until a smooth batter forms. Spread cream cheese filling liberally on four slices of bread and cover with remaining slices to form sandwiches. Dip sandwiches into batter, making sure to coat all sides well. Deep fry one or two at a time (depending on the size of your fryer) for roughly 1 1/2 minutes per side (3-4 minutes total), until golden brown. Let sandwiches settle and cool on a plate lined with paper towels for 3-5 minutes. When sufficiently cooled, dust with powdered sugar and serve with berry preserves of your choice.
