Stuffed Dates

The Washington Post, December 30, 2009

• • Course: Appetizer

Summary:

These days, dates almost inevitably come filled with goat cheese or wrapped in bacon. This version, made with ingredients found at Costco, gets its punch from blue cheese and its crunch from pecans.

Serve this hors d'oeuvre as part of a cheese plate.

Makes 12 stuffed dates

Ingredients:

• • 4 ounces Stilton cheese, crumbled
• • 1/4 cup pecan halves, finely chopped
• • 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• • 12 dates, slit halfway through and pitted
• • Kosher salt

Directions:

Combine the cheese, pecans, 1 tablespoon of the oil and the vinegar in a small bowl; mix well, adding the remaining oil to form a filling that is creamy enough.

Stuff each date with a tablespoon of the filling. Sprinkle the stuffed dates with the salt and serve.

Recipe Source:

From Shannon Overmiller, chef at the Majestic in Alexandria.

83 calories, 6g fat, 2g saturated fat, 7mg cholesterol, 153mg sodium, 7g carbohydrates, 1g dietary fiber, 6g sugar, 2g protein.