Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Thingies

From Pioneer Women Cooking
Contribued By Andrea Mouritsen

Ingredients:

Fresh Jalapenos 2-3 inches in size
Cream Cheese (softened)
Thin, regular bacon, sliced into thirds

Directions:

-Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise.
-With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane (the source of the heat; leave a little if you like things SPICY).
-Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half.
-Wrap jalapeno with bacon piece (1/3 slice).
-Secure by sticking a toothpick through the middle. (At this point you can freeze them, uncooked, in a Ziploc back for later use.)
-Bake on a pan with a rack in a 3750degree oven for 20-25 minutes.
-You don't want the bacon to shrink so much that it starts to squeeze the jalapeno. If, after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn't look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. These are the best when the jalapeno still has a bit of a bite to it.
-Serve immediately

Notes:

I have literally almost clawed my eyes out due to the extreme spiciness and power of the seeds. Note to all...be careful and do NOT touch your eyes. You may want to wear rubber gloves...and I'm not even kidding. In the end though, it's SO worth it. These are to DIE for.