Ingredients
Method
Preparation
- Preheat & Prep: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Submerge 24 wooden toothpicks in a small dish of water for 15 minutes to prevent burning.
Stuffing & Wrapping
- Pit the Dates: Using a small paring knife, make a gentle lengthwise slit down one side of each Medjool date. Remove and discard the pits while keeping the date intact like a little canoe.
- Stuff with Chèvre: Spoon or pipe approximately 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of chilled goat cheese into the cavity of each date. Gently press the seam closed to secure the cheese inside.
- Wrap with Bacon: Cut your standard bacon slices in half crosswise. Wrap one half-slice tightly around the center of each stuffed date, overlapping the seam underneath. Pierce a soaked wooden toothpick straight through the center to secure the bacon snugly.
Baking & Glazing
- Bake Until Sizzling: Arrange the wrapped dates seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 1 inch apart. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 18 to 22 minutes, flipping once at the 10-minute mark, until the bacon is deeply golden-brown and crackling.
- Optional Broil: For extra blistered crispness, switch your oven to BROIL on high for 60 to 90 seconds. Transfer dates to a paper-towel-lined plate for 2 minutes to drain excess bacon fat.
- Glaze & Serve: Transfer to a festive serving platter. Drizzle warm hot honey generously over the sizzling bacon and finish with minced fresh rosemary and flaky sea salt. Serve warm!