Fried Hot Stuffed Cherry Peppers

Remove cherry peppers from jar. Shake off liquid, cut-side-down. Pat peppers dry and place on layers of paper towels to soak up excess liquid for at least 10 minutes (the longer they drain, the better). Drier peppers cause less splattering while frying.

Add enough oil to cover the bottom 1 1/2 inches of a medium skillet or saucepan. Preheat oil on medium heat to about 360 F.

Add flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and garlic powder into a medium bowl. Whisk in water until smooth. Batter should be pancake batter consistency. Add water, a couple teaspoons at a time, if needed. Place panko crumbs into a small bowl.

Dip cherry peppers and coat with batter. Remove with a fork, allowing excess to drip off. Place peppers into panko crumbs and coat with a layer of crumbs. Place on a flat surface. Continue coating half of the cherry peppers.

Gently drop cherry peppers into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown (about 2-3 minutes), flipping over halfway through. Remove and drain on layers of paper towels. Continue coating and frying the remaining half of the peppers.

Makes about 12-14 fried peppers, depending on size of peppers.