Monte Cristo Sandwiches

When I was living in Mississippi, there was a restaurant right on the beach called the Bombay Bicycle Club. It was at that restaurant that I had my first Monte Cristo Sandwich. Oh yummy, fried, gooey, salty, sweet goodness. There are several versions of the Monte Cristo, but I've never had one so good as they made there. The sandwich is simply white bread, ham, and swiss cheese battered and fried, dusted with powdered sugar, then served with strawberry or raspberry jam. I've looked for a recipe for a while for these and finally found one. Again though, I had to alter it a bit to my liking. So, for your comfort food pleasure, here it is! Oh, and one sandwich is PLENTY for one person, so this recipe serves 4.

Monte Cristo Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 quart oil for frying, or as needed
1 1/3 cups water
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper
8 slices white bread
8 slices Swiss cheese
8 slices ham
Powdered sugar for dusting

Strawberry or Raspberry Jam (Strawberry for a more sweet flavor, Raspberry for more tart)



Directions:

1. Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 375 degrees F.

2. While oil is heating, make the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper; whisk into the egg mixture until smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator.
3. Assemble sandwiches by placing two slices of ham on one slice of bread, then 2 slices of swiss cheese, and then another 2 slices of ham and the second piece of bread. Try to keep meat and cheese within the borders of the bread crust. Cut sandwiches into quarters, and secure with toothpicks.
4. Dip each sandwich quarter in the batter so that all sides are coated. Deep fry in the hot oil until golden brown on all sides. Remove toothpicks and arrange on a serving tray. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.