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stuffed bacon-wrapped dates on a plate

Stuffed Date Appetizer with a Cherry Balsamic Sauce

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This bacon wrapped date appetizer stuffed with a tangy goat cheese is just about the best thing you can bring to any party or get together!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 24 Dates

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 1 ½ Cups Pitted Cherries fresh or frozen
  • 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tbsp Sugar
  • 3 Whole Cloves or 1/2 tsp ground
  • 1 tsp Nutmeg

Stuffing

  • 5 oz Goat Cheese
  • 1 ½ Tbsp Honey
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon

Dates

  • 24 Dates Deglet Noor
  • 12 Strips Bacon or Pork Belly
  • Pork Dry Rub See Recipe Notes

Instructions

Cherry Balsamic Sauce

  • In a small pot, add the pitted cherries, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, nutmeg, and cloves to the pot and bring to a low boil.
  • Allow the sauce to simmer for 20 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, start on the stuffing.
  • When the 20 minutes are done, mash the cherries up in the sauce, releasing as much juice as possible. Using a cheese cloth, strain the sauce into a bowl so that what you are left with is a smooth liquid. If you don't have a cheesecloth, you can use a fork or a slotted spoon to remove the cherries.

Stuffing

  • In a small bowl, add the goat cheese, honey, and cinnamon. Mix the filling well until it is creamy.

Assembling and Baking the Dates

  • Preheat your oven to 400° F and prepare a baking sheet and rack.
  • Slice a long opening across the top of each date to prepare for the stuffing.
  • Prepare your bacon (or pork belly) by seasoning one side of it with the rub (see recipe notes) and then cutting each slice in half lengthwise.
  • Using a small spoon, stuff a decent amount of the goat cheese mixture into each date, allowing it to pile just a bit over the top.
  • Wrap each date in a piece of bacon, seasoned side out, and either secure it with a toothpick, or just set it folded side down onto your pan.
  • Drizzle half of the cherry sauce onto the dates then bake at 400° F for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the dates from the oven and top them with the last of the cherry sauce. Serve hot and enjoy!

Notes

  • If you only have bacon that is pretty flavorful, you can skip the rub if you think the flavors will clash.
  • We love to slice our own pork belly and season it with our signature Asian Pork Dry Rub for the bacon.
  • The dates we use (deglet noor) are a smaller variety of dates. If you use a large variety such as medjool, you will want to skip cutting the bacon lengthwise.
  • If you like a slightly chunky sauce, instead of straining it, you can use an immersion blender to give it a few whirls and have the cherry chunks remain.