From the archives, first posted April 21, 2009.  This is one of our most popular posts and one of my favorite appetizers.  Easy and always a crowd pleaser, it’s a great one to have in your back pocket as we approach the holiday season.

We first had bacon-wrapped dates at a tapas place we like in Menlo Park, Iberia.  The service can be spotty, but the food is delicious, and the sangria is deadly.  They stuff their bacon-wrapped dates with Spanish-style chorizo.  It makes a great combination of spicy, sweet, and salty.  Here, we subbed the chorizo for Campo de Montalban cheese (similar to manchego) and an almond.  I tossed the almonds with olive oil, salt, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika to add that spicy note, and I like the addition of the creaminess of the cheese.  It’s a great fusion of flavors, and a wonderful appetizer.

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• Cheese Date Biscuits
• Cheese Straws

Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Dates

We’ve tried these with Medjool dates, but they are a bit too sweet and moist. We like them better with more readily available (and cheaper) California dates.

20 pitted dates
20 blanched almonds
10 pieces of bacon
1/4 c cheese, such as manchego, Campo de Montalban, or goat cheese, in small chunks
cayenne pepper
smoked paprika
olive oil
salt

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Optional: Toss almonds with a bit of olive oil, salt, cayenne pepper, and paprika. Don’t shirk on the spices; you want the flavor to come through in the final product. Toast for a few minutes, until barely beginning to brown. Let cool.

Stuff the dates with one almond and a few small chunks of the cheese. (You can probably just use the holes in each end of the date instead of cutting slits in them.)  Wrap each date in a half slice of bacon, and secure the ends with toothpicks.

Place the dates on a broiler pan.  Bake at 350 for about 5 minutes, turn, and bake for another 5 minutes or so, until the bacon is crispy.  Serve warm.

I got this nifty square tart pan (how could I have gone this long without a tart pan?!) with a gift certificate from Christmas.  I was itching to try it out, but I’m cutting back on sweets, so I was on the lookout for a savory tart idea.  I ended up using a balsamic vinegar crust from La Tartine Gourmande and a custardy filling of beets, goat cheese, and walnuts from alpineberry.  It was a delicious but light and simple supper.  Matt’s comment was “it’d be good as an appetizer, and smaller” — well, not a bad idea, maybe I’ll try it sometime with miniature tart pans.  Anyway, the night we made it, all we needed was something light and simple, and this fit the bill perfectly.  It was also pretty good leftover, at room temperature even.

The balsamic vinegar added a different little tang to the crust, and I think beets and goat cheese are always a great combination.  The only problem I had was that the tart shell shrank — a lot — but I think that was probably my own fault since I didn’t want to wait to let the dough rest after I made it.  So, if you try this out, I’d recommend letting the dough sit in the fridge at least an hour before rolling it out, and then refrigerate again before baking.

Beet and Goat Cheese Tart with Balsamic Crust

adapted from La Tartine Gourmande and alpineberry

For the crust:
1 1/4 c all purpose flour
7 T butter, cold
2 T balsamic vinegar
2-3 T cold water

For the tart:
2 beets
1 T butter
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3 large eggs
3/4 c heavy cream
1/4 t dried thyme
8 oz goat cheese
1/2 c walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Cut butter into flour. Add balsamic vinegar and just enough water to bring the dough together. Shape into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate at least an hour.

Meanwhile, wrap the beets in foil and roast until they’re tender, about 1 hour. (Making the dough and roasting the beets can both be done up to a few days ahead.)

Roll out the dough and place in a tart pan and prick with a fork.  Refrigerate for at least 15-30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375 F and bake for 20 minutes or so, until lightly golden.

For the filling, heat butter over medium heat.  Cook the onion in the butter until tender and a little bit caramelized.  Slice the beets and cut the slices into chunks.

Combine the beaten eggs, cream, and thyme, and season with pepper and a little salt.

Place the beets and onions in the bottom of the tart.  Pour over the custard.  Sprinkle with goat cheese and walnuts.  Bake about 35 minutes at 375 F until set and golden.

These come from my Aunt Kathryn, who is always sending me great, not-too-complicated recipes to try.  She always especially has delicious finger food.  Our extended family gatherings are often at her house, and she served these cheese biscuits at our Christmas gift exchange a few years ago.  I try to keep the ingredients for these on hand, as they come together pretty quickly.  They also freeze well, so I usually freeze half the batch for a night when I need a before-dinner snack.

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Cheese Date Biscuits

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t salt
1/4 c milk
1 8 ox package chopped dates

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Beat butter and cheese until well-blended. Mix in flour, salt,and pepper. Add milk. Stir until stiff dough forms. Wrap 1 T dough around 3-4 chopped dates. Cover completely and form into a cylinder or a ball.

Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until golden, about fifteen minutes. Serve warm.

Note: If you want to freeze them, bake for about 12-13 minutes and then freeze. Bake for 2-3 minutes (straight from the freezer) to reheat. You can also make the dough up to one day ahead, and keep in the fridge until ready to bake.

More from melting your mouth:
Cheese Straws