Like an idiot, I do not use gloves. I’m a seasoned “hot food cook”……..so I passed over the gloves. Didn’t kill me, but what an awakening, every time my fingertips touched my lips!!!!!

I left about 10 seeds inside each jalapeno. Again, I like the jolt! I do use the recipe from the book, so I wallop them with a good does of Famous Dave’s BBQ sauce.

I did cook them at higher heat to crisp up the bacon and I slide the toothpick in, sideways, to hold it all together, but not look tacky with toothpicks hanging out.

Oh man, this is one of my favorite recipes. Anxious to try the Red Velvet Cake! I think REE rocks!!!!! All I can say —– the cookbook is worth it’s weight in gold (and I have no affiliation). Best of luck to you!!!! (wear your gloves)

Put on baking sheet and cook on lowest rack till a noticeable amount of bacon fat is rendered, then put on highest or second to highest rack and broil until the tops get brown and crispy. This seems to get the best consistency from the bacon. Oh, and it’s best NOT to use thick cut or the bacon will never get crispy, just chewy.

These are fantastic in BLT’s. Just pile them on toasted bread with a little mayo, lettuce, and thick cut tomatoes. Yummmmmmy!

Susan, I didn’t realize that the web recipe was so different! The stuffing in the book is actually a mixture of cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese and green onion, and then of course you brush bbq on the tops of the assembled poppers. And, wow…a whole bottle of dye?! I haven’t really read through the recipe yet. I’m thinking the dye wouldn’t really matter that much…just make it red instead of brown. It should make for an interesting twist, nonetheless!

First, I was really psyched about trying these and all geared up for making them on Sunday. Well, work that morning was exhausting and I didn’t have it in me to get the ingredients I lacked. Plus my husband was incredulous that I was going to try them given how awful my heartburn is. (32 weeks pregnant!) Anyway, I had all but decided to bow out — but today, as I shopped in Ingles, I saw those jalapenos and said, “Darn it, I’m going to make them!! That’s what Zantac is for!!!” So, here is how it went…

I’ve cut and de-seeded jalapenos before without problem, so I didn’t use gloves. (I will say that a few minutes after cutting them I could sense a bit of heat on my breath… our pores are so fascinating!!) I was also only doing three peppers. Had I been cutting a bunch of them I probably would have gloved up, just in case!

I stuffed mine with cream cheese and then cut a thin strip of fresh pineapple that was the length of the pepper. I wrapped those babies in bacon and put them in the toaster oven on a drip tray. Based on others’ comments, and since I was only doing a few, I thought the toaster oven would get the bacon nice and crisp. I was right about this!

The verdict: They were OK. I, too, was surprised about the lack of heat from the pepper. There was some nice zest, but nothing to be too concerned about. I am so glad I added the pineapple. The flavor really showed up in mine, but I did use a nice long spear and it was fresh. Honestly, though, I probably won’t make these again. They didn’t do anything spectacular for me. (Though I do think they’d be yummy on a burger, as suggested by PW) SO glad to have tried the recipe. I’ve been curious about this recipe for a long time and was glad for an excuse to make it. I did photograph the event, but my pics are pretty much the same!!!

As for the next recipe choice… we try not to use artificial dye in our house. ESP. not a bottle full!!! BUT, David’s fave cake of all time is red velvet. I had recently asked him if he thought the dye made that big of a difference in the cake. Though I’d imagine it will make a difference, I think I might try this without the dye and see what happens. Will probably halve the recipe and make cupcakes, just in case it is a disaster!!!
Susan´s last blog ..It’s Christmas time!!

I thought the put-together process took a little long for the outcome. And I cooked them an additional 30-40 minutes to try to crisp the bacon. I don’t like limp bacon. It kinda scares me.

Now for the funny misadventure!

Brady, my husband, had gone over to our friends’ house to help install a dishwasher. So my friend Anna was hanging out here and acting as my photographer for this adventure. We headed into the kitchen and I turned on the oven to 275. Then I started putting the poppers together. They took about an hour. I was removing my bbq-laden gloves and had asked Anna to “pop” the poppers into the oven. She opened the oven and I hear, “Uh, Debbie?”

I turn around to find 2 plastic collanders, 3 tupperware containers, 1 metal bowl and 2 9×13 pans stacked in my completely pre-heated oven! Apparently, when we were cleaning up for our oldest’s birthday party the day before, Brady had decided he didn’t have time to wash and put these items away and stuck them in the OVEN for safe-keeping and then failed to tell me about this. So one tupperware was a goner and the larger of the collanders will forever have an interesting new shape (and it was fairly new!) Brady got a text that was a little less than friendly!

But overall, not a bad experience. At least, we have a great story to tell!