Jalapeño Popper Mummies

Make it

Yield: 20 poppers · about 10 appetizer servings

Timing: 25 minutes prep · 20–25 minutes baking · about 55 minutes including cooling

Ingredients

• 10 large jalapeños
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• ¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (about 8–9 oz), thawed according to package directions but still cold
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water, for brushing
• 40 tiny pieces of mozzarella and 40 tiny black-olive pieces, for eyes

Method

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Wear gloves to halve the jalapeños lengthwise; remove seeds and white ribs. Wash hands and equipment afterward, and avoid touching your eyes. Removing the ribs reduces heat but does not make peppers reliably mild.
2. Mix cream cheese, cheddar, garlic powder and paprika. Divide among the 20 pepper halves, keeping the filling just below the rim so it has room to bubble.
3. Cut the cold puff pastry into strips about ¼ inch wide. Wrap each filled pepper with a few strips, leaving gaps between the bandages and a small space near the stem for eyes. Place filling-side up on the baking sheet, spaced apart. Brush the pastry lightly with egg wash.
4. Bake 20–25 minutes, checking from 18 minutes, until the pastry is puffed, deeply golden and cooked through, and the filling is hot. Ovens and pepper sizes vary; allow more time if pastry still looks pale or doughy.
5. Cool about 5 minutes. Add two tiny mozzarella pieces with black-olive pupils to each popper. Serve warm, warning guests that the filling may still be hot.