Day 61: Almond Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates

Yield: 12 dates
Time (Start to Finish): 30 min

Ingredients:
12 dates
12 almonds
¼ cup goat cheese
4-5 strips bacon
Balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Take the pit out of the dates while keeping them whole and intact
3. With your hand, put a little bit of goat cheese (soft) into each date, about half of a tsp.
4. Then put a whole almond in the date. Make sure to use the largest almonds you have
5. Finish it off with more goat cheese and make sure they are as stuffed as you can get them
6. Wrap each date in bacon. Not a whole piece, but enough to circle the date once. You don’t need to cover the opening, but if you can, it will help hold in the cheese.
7. Place on a non stick baking sheet and bake 15-20 min or until the bacon is cooked. Try to use meaty bacon more than fatty or it will just melt away.
8. Serve with a splash of balsamic vinegar on each date.

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: I first found a similar recipe while working at Barmarché as a hostess/waitress and they had almond stuffed dates on the menu. Shout out to my girls from there! I added the goat cheese and the vinegar, but I could eat SO many of these!! I would improve them by making a balsamic vinegar reduction and putting it on top more than it fresh from the bottle. They are good fresh out of the oven, or cold too! This recipe serves about 3 people, and is really a killer appetizer. Serve at any party and you will make everyone happy. You can put different cheeses too! So fun to make, and quick after a long day at work and before hitting up the movie Fame with my gaggle of girls. Also a good snack to come home too late at night.