gluten free cheesesticks

Hello, Gluten Free World!  I really haven't forgotten about you.  It's been quite a hectic month.  The boyfriend had a spot of skin cancer removed that ended up being a bit larger than anticipated, the family's 20-year-old cat had to be put to sleep due to malignant tumors, I started an anatomy & physiology course (while still working 45 hours a week), and my wisdom teeth were removed yesterday.  Woohoo!

For Valentine's Day, the boyfriend went all out.  I hadn't eaten a cheesestick in 2 1/2 years.  When I got home from work, he surprised me with some :)

 It was AWESOME!!  They were part of a wonderful dinner: mini salad bar, grilled steak, grilled asparagus, green beans, and tater tots.  Mmm.  That morning, he'd surprised me by decorating our bathroom:

So on Wednesday, he helped me make more cheesesticks.  This recipe is his own creation, so you're welcome to make variations as needed.

Ingredients:

• Udi's bread 
• 1 T parsley
• 1 T salt
• 1 T garlic powder
• Mozzarella cheesesticks
• 2 eggs 
• Canola oil - about 3 inches deep in a saucepan
• Spring roll wrappers - We found some that are gluten free in our neighborhood Kroger

Chop the bread in a food processor.  Add the parsley, salt, and garlic powder.

 Slice the cheesesticks in half.  With the first run, Scott froze the cheesesticks for about 45 minutes prior to cooking.  On Wednesday, he didn't.  They both turned out very well.

Heat the oil as you whisk the eggs together.

Here we used 1 of my parents' farm fresh Speckled Sussex eggs (top) and a store bought egg (bottom).  You can see the difference in color between the two.  The yolk of a farm-fresh egg is more firm and well-defined. 

Cut the spring roll wrappers in half, dip in water, and wrap a cheesestick in it.  

The spring roll wrappers will become soft and can be clipped to size.  Roll the wrapped cheesestick in the egg wash and cover - no, smother - in breadcrumbs.  Smoosh the breadcrumbs onto the cheesestick.

With the oil at about 365 degrees, drop in the cheesestick.  It will cook quickly, less than 2 minutes.  Judge it by the color & texture of the breadcrumbs.  (If the temperature is too high, the crumbs will cook but the cheese will remain room temperature.)

 Yummy!!!  This breading was absolutely terrific. 

Enjoy :)  And if you have a variation you'd suggest, please let me know!  Happy eating!