Baked Party Dates
A delicious combination of sweet sticky dates, goats cheese, herbs and honey all wrapped up in a salty, crispy bacon case. The perfect morsel to be served at any festive party or social gathering.
Makes 24
15 mins
25-30 mins
200°C
Ingredients
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24 plump Medjool dates
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Filling
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2 x 150g soft goats cheese roll- no rind
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1-2 tbsp runny honey
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1 tbsp fresh thyme- finely chopped
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Freshly grated black pepper
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Wrap
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12-14 thin slices streaky bacon- or a bacon alternative, cut in half, gently thinned
Instructions
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Prepare baking tray:
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01 Line a flat baking tray with non stick baking paper.
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Prepare dates:
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02 Split the dates in half lengthwise, but do not cut the date all the way through. Remove the stone and discard.
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Prepare bacon:
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03 Lay the bacon flat on a board. Cut in half and with a blunt flat knife, gently smooth the bacon to increase length. Cut enough length and into pieces which will wrap around the full circumference of the stuffed date. Leave to one side.
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Make filling:
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04 In a bowl soften the goats cheese and mix in 1 tbsp of the runny honey, chopped thyme and black pepper. Taste. No need to add salt as the goats cheese and bacon are salty.
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Assemble to bake:
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05 Stuff each date with the goats cheese mixture and then gently squeeze sides together to seal. Wrap each date with bacon and place the seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dates.
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Bake:
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06 Drizzle now with extra honey and place in the oven for approximately 25-30 minutes until the dates are hot and the bacon crispy.
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Serve:
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07 Drizzle with additional honey and more chopped herbs scattered all over the top.
Notes
These delicious morsels can also be stuffed with blue cheese or ricotta. Omit the honey if you prefer but the addition of honey does help to caramelise the bacon during cooking. These delights can be made the day before and refrigerated for up to a day. Drizzle with honey just before baking, then bake as directed. These delightful morsels can be served up on attractive plates, however, I have no problem in offering them to guests straight from the baking tray!
