Steps

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  Matt Pittman's Texas Twinkies

  

• 1

  Smoke the cream cheese: To smoke the cream cheese, preheat the Traeger with the lid closed to 275°F; this will take about 15 minutes.

• 2

  Line a small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. (Alternatively, line the sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.) Place the cream cheese block on the baking sheet, then score the top of the cream cheese. (This is not crucial, but the scoring creates more surface area for the spice and smoke to penetrate.) Season the cream cheese well with Holy Gospel. Smoke it for 1½ to 2 hours. (You can smoke the peppers at the same time; see below.)

  275 ˚F / 135 ˚C

  01:30

• 3

  Meanwhile, prepare the peppers: With a sharp knife and starting about a half inch up from the stem, make a horizontal slit. Then slit the pepper vertically starting in the middle of the initial cut and stopping just before you reach the tip to create a T. Open the pepper up some and, using the handle end of a spoon, scoop out the seeds and scrape away as much of the ribs as you like. (The ribs are what give the jalapeño its heat, so of you like hot, skip the scraping.)

• 4

  Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet, then place the slit peppers on the rack and transfer to the grill. Smoke the peppers for 25 to 30 minutes to make them more pliable for stuffing.

  275 ˚F / 135 ˚C

  00:25

• 5

  In a medium bowl, combine the smoked cream cheese with the brisket. For easiest stuffing, transfer the filling to a pastry bag. (Alternatively use a zip-top bag and snip the tip off.) Fill the jalapeños with the cream cheese mixture; they want to be full but not overstuffed. Press on the pepper to mostly close the slit.

• 6

  Wrap each stuffed jalapeño with the bacon. Season the wrapped peppers all over with Holy Gospel and return them to the wire rack.

• 7

  Transfer the rack to the smoker and cook the peppers until the bacon has crisped some, about 90 minutes; the time will vary depending on the thickness of the bacon, your smoker, and the weather.

  275 ˚F / 135 ˚C

  01:30

• 8

  Let cool a bit before serving. Enjoy!