Bacon-Wrapped Cheese and Honey Dates
According to Factopedia-Wikidot, the name of this appetizer, Devils on Horseback, came from Cornwall in Southern England, where in the early 1900s, Norman invaders would dress themselves in armors of bacon to scare the local townspeople. * But there’s nothing alarmng about this appetizer for me. Back in my thirties, I used to meet up with friends and prospective dates at a local tapas restaurant. One of my favorite items on their menu was Devils on Horseback or bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with cheese and nuts. We would ask for a double order, thinking that was plenty, but somehow, they always flew off the plate. So, taking this as inspiration, I took this savory appetizer to a new level by adding dried apricots and honey-glazed pecans, all drizzled with a honey butter sauce. Try it for yourself and you’ll see how they disappear readily, fast becoming the hit of the party!
Ingredients
- 12 Medjool pitted dates
- 6 thin strips of hickory-smoked bacon
- 12 Honey-Glazed, Toasted Pecans (see recipe under Salad)
- 12 whole, dried apricots
- 2 oz. cream cheese
- 2 oz. goat cheese
- 1 T. + 1 t. honey
- 2 T. unsalted butter
- Sprinkle of sea salt
- Soaked toothpicks
Directions
- Step 1 Note: soak the toothpicks 24 hours before, so they don’t burn at the tips when you bake them with the dates in the oven.
- Step 2 Preheat the oven to 425°F and take out the cheeses, so they’re at room temperature. Then, combine the goat and cream cheese with 1 t. of honey in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Step 3 Next, make a half-batch of my Honey-Glazed, Toasted Pecans if you don’t have any on hand. Make sure you use 12 pecan halves not pecan pieces. See recipe under Salad.
- Step 4 Next, take a small paring knife and make a slit in each date, slicing it halfway, lengthwise but not cutting it through. Then, stuff each date with one pecan, one apricot, and ½ teaspoon of the cheese/honey mixture. Afterwards, wrap each date with a half slice of bacon and pierce them through with a toothpick to hold the contents together.
- Step 5 Then, heat the butter in the microwave, being sure to cover the butter with a paper towel, so it doesn’t splatter everywhere. Next, pour in 1 T. of honey and mix well. After this, rip off a sheet of parchment paper and fit it into a 9 x 13” baking sheet. Place the dates on top of the parchment paper and drizzle the honey/butter sauce over the dates.
- Step 6 Bake for 7 minutes, then turn the dates to one side. Bake for another 5 minutes and then, take out and turn the dates to their other side. Next, bake for another 5 minutes and remove from the oven when the bacon is crispy. Peel from the parchment paper and serve when warm. Enjoy!
These savory dates, also known as Devils on Horseback, are far from frightening. In fact, they’re the opposite, ushering in a taste of heaven. Stuffed with honey goat cheese, dried apricots, glazed pecans, and drizzled with honey butter, they’ll be the hit of any party! You’ll just have to keep up the supply with all the demand!
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Serving size: 1 appetizer, servings per recipe: 12, calories: 255, total fat: 8.4 g., saturated fat: 4.5 g., cholesterol: 23 mg., sodium: 195 mg., total carbohydrate: 43.1 g., dietary fiber: 3.7 g., total sugars: 35.2 g., protein: 4.9 g., calcium: 72 mg., iron: 1 mg., potassium: 100 mg., vitamin D: 1 mcg.
SOURCES:
*Crowley, Tom. “Devils on Horseback,” Factopedia Because You Can’t Just Vandalise Wikipedia, last accessed 7 October 2022.