Cheese And Date Pairing: Perfect Flavor Combination

Dates are a versatile fruit with a caramel-like taste and texture. They can be used in a variety of dishes, from smoothies to salads to brownies. They are also a great snack on their own or with just one other ingredient. One popular pairing is dates and cheese.

Dates go well with a variety of soft cheeses, including goat cheese, blue cheese, feta, mascarpone, and ricotta. The salty cheese balances the sweetness of the dates, making for a delicious appetizer. For a simple, tasty treat, stuff pitted dates with your choice of soft cheese.

Goat cheese-stuffed dates

Ingredients

• Medjool dates
• Goat cheese
• Pine nuts
• Olive oil
• Flaky sea salt
• Ground black pepper

Optional Ingredients

• Honey
• Bacon
• Rosemary
• Cayenne pepper
• Walnuts
• Oranges
• Cinnamon

Method

• Preheat your oven to 350-375°F.
• Slice the dates lengthwise and remove the pits.
• Stuff the dates with goat cheese.
• If you're using them, wrap the dates in bacon and secure with a toothpick.
• If you're using them, toast the pine nuts in a pan over medium heat.
• Arrange the dates on a baking sheet.
• Bake for 10-20 minutes, until the bacon is crispy.
• If you're using them, drizzle the dates with honey.
• Top with pine nuts, olive oil, sea salt, and pepper.

Dates and blue cheese

Blue cheese and dates are a perfect combination of salty and sweet, creamy and crunchy. This simple hors d'oeuvre is a great dish to serve at parties, combining two ingredients to make a tasty treat.

Ingredients

• Dates (pitted)
• Blue cheese
• Honey (optional)
• Almonds (optional)

Method

• Using a sharp knife, cut a slit into each date and remove the pit.
• Stuff the date with blue cheese.
• If desired, sprinkle with almonds and/or drizzle with honey.
• Arrange on a platter and serve.

Variations

This recipe can be adapted in numerous ways. You could:

• Wrap the stuffed dates in bacon and bake in the oven.
• Use goat's cheese instead of blue cheese.
• Use another type of nut, such as pine nuts.
• Add extra ingredients to the blue cheese, such as herbs.

Prosciutto-wrapped dates

To make prosciutto-wrapped dates, you will need medjool dates, goat cheese, mascarpone cheese, fresh basil leaves, salt, pepper, and prosciutto. First, mix the cheeses and basil in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Then, gently pull apart the dates and stuff them with the cheese mixture. Wrap each date with a piece of prosciutto and secure it with a toothpick. Finally, arrange the stuffed dates on a platter and serve.

You can also add some honey to the prosciutto-wrapped dates for an extra touch of sweetness. Drizzle the dates with honey or use it as a dip. Additionally, if you want to make the dates even more special, you can stuff them with other ingredients, such as almonds, pecans, or pistachios.

Dates with roasted, salted almonds

There are a few ways to serve dates with almonds. You can stuff pitted dates with a single almond, or you can serve the dates and almonds separately. If you want to get a little more creative, you can also try stuffing the dates with soft cheese, such as goat cheese or blue cheese, and then topping them with almonds. This combination of sweet, salty, creamy, and crunchy textures and flavours is sure to be a crowd-pleaser!

If you want to take your date and almond combination to the next level, try warming the stuffed dates in the oven. This will make the dates softer and the cheese melty, adding a bit of indulgence to your snack.

So, the next time you're looking for a quick and easy snack or appetizer, give dates with roasted, salted almonds a try! They're a simple yet elegant way to enjoy the delicious flavours and textures of dates and almonds.

Dates with dark chocolate

Dates and dark chocolate is a match made in heaven. Medjool dates, nicknamed the "king of dates", are the perfect variety to use in this combination. They are larger and darker in colour compared to other kinds of dates and have a caramel-like taste and texture. When paired with dark chocolate, which is rich in antioxidants, fibre, iron, magnesium, and copper, you get a delicious and healthy treat.

Ingredients:

• Medjool dates (or any other variety of dates)
• Dark chocolate (or any other type of chocolate)
• Toppings of your choice (optional): freshly grated orange zest, finely chopped nuts (such as pecans, peanuts, walnuts, or pistachios), shredded coconut, or flaky sea salt

Instructions:

• Start by removing the pits from the dates if they are not already pitted.
• Melt the chocolate using a double boiler or a microwave. If using a microwave, heat the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second increments, stirring after each interval, until it is completely melted.
• Add a pitted date to the bowl of melted chocolate and gently stir to coat it evenly.
• Use a fork to lift the date out of the chocolate, allowing any excess to drip back into the bowl.
• Place the chocolate-covered date on a large plate or sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Immediately sprinkle on any desired toppings.
• Repeat steps 3-6 with the remaining dates.
• Place the plate of chocolate-dipped dates in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden.

For added flavour and crunch, you can also place a nut, such as a toasted pecan or almond, inside the date where the pit was before coating it with chocolate. Alternatively, you can stuff the dates with nut butter, such as peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter, before dipping them in chocolate.

This combination of dates and dark chocolate is not only delicious but also provides several health benefits. Dates are a good source of vitamins and nutrients, and when paired with dark chocolate, they can help curb your craving for something sugary and unhealthy. So, go ahead and indulge in this sweet and healthy treat!

Frequently asked questions