Baked Jalapeno Poppers

My husband loves these so much that each fall we pick a bushel of jalapeno peppers, fill them and freeze them. In fact we had to buy a second freezer just to accommodate these peppers. This recipe is courtesy of Emeril Lagasse. If you like these hot, leave in some seeds or membranes. The original recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon cumin but I do not like it so I leave it out.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 24 poppers

Ingredients

• 12  fresh jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise with stems and membranes removed
• 6  ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 1⁄2 cups  grated mozzarella cheese or 1 1⁄2 cups monterey jack cheese
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 2  large eggs
• 2  tablespoons milk
• 8  teaspoons  Emeril's Original Essence (posted separately by others members)
• 1  cup  breadcrumbs
• 1⁄2 cup flour
•  sour cream, for serving

Directions

1. Using your food processor, combine cream cheese, cheese, cumin (if using) and cayenne until well mixed.
2. In a separate bowl combine eggs, milk and 2 teaspoons of the Essence (or to taste).
3. In another dish, mix together the breadcrumbs and 4 teaspoons of the Essence (or to taste).
4. Using gloves, fill each pepper with about a tablespoon of filling depending on the size of the pepper. I find filling all the peppers first before moving on to the next step works best for me.
5. Dip each filled pepper into the flour, then into the egg mixture and finally into the breadcrumbs.
6. At this point the peppers can be frozen on cookie sheets. Just pop into the oven frozen when you need them.
7. Cook at 350°F for 30 minutes on a greased pan. Easy release foil or parchment paper works well too.
8. To cut down on the heat when eating, serve with sour cream.