This was the second installment of our Tapas party menu - bacon rolled in brown sugar and wrapped around dates stuffed with blue cheese and toasted almonds. You can make these ahead of time and serve them at room temperature.
Bacon-wrapped Dates with Blue Cheese and Toasted Almonds
Ingredients:
Medjool dates
blue cheese
toasted almonds
brown sugar
Directions:
Preheat over to 375 degrees.
Slice the dates lengthwise on one side and remove the pits. Pinch off slices of blue cheese and place it into the centers of the dates along with some slices of almond.
Position the date on the end of a bacon strip (I halved the strips of bacon to avoid soggy bacon in the center).
Roll the bacon around the date and secure with a toothpick.
Prior to baking, I rolled the bacon in brown sugar and then baked them for 30-40 minutes. They do tend to burn so I had to rearrange the dates midway through baking to allow all sides to cook and caramelize. A relatively easy and simple recipe with a number of possible variations: goat cheese, parmesan, feta, walnuts, balsamic and red wine reduction glazes. The glazes sound definitely sound like something worth trying prevent the dates from being to dry.