Meet the Jalapeño Poppers evil step brother: Habanero Bombers! These bombers might be small, but trust me, they bring a BIG heat punch! I called them Bombers and not poppers because eating one is basically a nuclear heat bomb bursting in your mouth. Plus, they look like adorable little fried bombs! They are just super cute! But don't let them fool you!!! These cheesy, golden fried bombs are NOT for those with a weak heat palate. In fact, even those who LOVE super hot and spicy foods need to use caution!!! Lets break this down to science real quick. Everyone knows that Jalapeños are super hot, cause they are! They tend to range about 3,500-8,000 on the scoville scale. The scoville scale is a measurement of scoville heat units (SHU), a function of capsaicin concentration. Well...Habaneros range from about 200,000-350,000 scoville units. I know I'm throwing a bunch of numbers and phrases at you, so I will sum it up quick! You know that Jalapeño Popper you had? It was creamy, cheesy, crunchy, spicy and delicious! These Bombers are basically like eating 57 of them, at once! Habaneros are about 57-43X hotter than Jalapeños! What i'm saying is...they are hot!! Really, Really, Really HOT!! Eater BEWARE! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED! This recipe includes a cooling sauce, but I recommend having a big glass of milk by your side if your daring enough to eat one of these little heat bombs!

Give it a try! I DARE you!

You Need:

Gloves
6 Habanero peppers
4 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup Flour
2/3 cup Milk
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1/2 cup Sour Cream
2 Tbls chopped Cilantro
Oil for frying

Step 1: Make the Filling

Put the cream cheese in a bowl and microwave it for 30-45 seconds to soften it up. Add the cheddar cheese and mix until combined.

Step 2: Stuff the Habaneros

For this step it is EXTREMELY important you wear gloves! The oils will get on your skin and anything you touch will burn if you do not! It will burn even after you wash your hands. Trust me, just wear gloves! Or don't, but you've been warned :)

First take a habanero and make a cut down the side. Carefully and slowly squeeze the top and bottom together to open up the cut and reveal the inside of the pepper. With a small sharp knife, carefully cut the seeds out of the pepper. This takes a little patience, but the result is worth it!

Take a dab of the cream cheese filling with your finger and carefully stuff it into the pepper. Do this a few times until the pepper is completely stuffed. Press the pepper together to close the opening and wipe off any filling that may ooze out. Repeat with the remaining habaneros.

Step 3: Batter the Bombers!

In a bowl mix the flour, milk, salt, garlic, and baking powder. It should resemble a pancake batter. In another bowl, add the panko bread crumbs and set next to the batter.

Wearing gloves, take one pepper and carefully dip/roll it in the batter. You want to completely cover the pepper, but not the stem so it looks like a wick once finished. Shake off excess batter and place it into the bread crumbs. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top and let it fall over the sides. You want to move the pepper as little as possible to keep the batter and breading in place. Once fully coated, gently shake off excess breading and set aside to batter the rest of the peppers.

Step 4: Deep Fry!

You can either use a deep fryer, or a small sauce pan. Turn your deep fryer to 350 degrees F or fill a small sauce pan half way with oil and heat to 350 degrees F by monitoring it with a candy thermometer. Once the oil is hot, slowly drop a few habaneros into the oil and cook for about 3 minutes until golden brown. Remove with tongs and rest on paper towels for 5 minutes.

Step 5: Make the Dipping Sauce

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and chopped cilantro. Serve the sauce with the Habanero Bombers and ENJOY!Cautiously, that is!! If you feel the need to "double dip" after the first bite, or just need to swoop in for a finger of cooling sauce, nobody will judge you!! Trust me, everybody is thinking the same thing and will just follow. After all, the heat will kill the germs, right? If not, who cares! Your mouth is on FIRE! Oh, and don't forget that tall glass of milk! You'll need it!!

If you're looking for cooler fun take on Jalapeno Poppers, check out my Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese! or Cheesy Jalapeno Popper Dip! They are a lot milder and can be modified to fit your heat tolerance if habaneros are a bit too much!