Yum, Yum, Yum—what more can I say?
The first time I tasted a stuffed date was at Mercat a la Planxa in Chicago. The appetizer was a Medjool date stuffed with a Marcona almond, wrapped in bacon, and served with a blue cheese fondue. The presentation —pouring a little pitcher of warm bleu cheese over a tray of stuffed wrapped dates—had our mouths watering before we even took the first bite.
After that first “date”, we traveled to Israel, and I came home with 25 pounds of Medjool dates. With those dates (after giving a good amount to my kids), I tried my first Amaretto Date Nut Shake (here on the blog), Bacon Wrapped Dates with Balsamic, dates wrapped in prosciutto instead of bacon, and of course, Green Beans and Brussels Sprouts with Dates. The prosciutto-wrapped dates are especially good because you don’t have to overcook the date just to get the bacon crispy.
My go-to date appetizer has always been some version of wrapped—often with an almond and blue cheese tucked inside—and I almost always overcook them. Until now.
