Cheese Stuffed Dates

When entertaining I find it best to get as much cooking done in advance as possible. That way I can spend the evening enjoying my guests rather than working in the kitchen. So, I try to prepare everything in advance. Below is a wonderful appetizer that is so easy even a child can do it, so elegant you might see it at a trendy Hollywood party, and so delicious I could eat way too many.

Medjool dates, goat cheese, marscapone cheese and prociutto are the main ingredients, so how could it be bad? Medjool dates are the big, plump, extra sweet juicy dates that you often see in bulk in the fruit and vegetable section. They're more expensive, but well worth it.

Cheese Stuffed Dates

20 medjool dates (pitted)
1/4 cup goat cheese (room temperature)
1/4 cup marscapone cheese (room temperature)
handful of basil, chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste
10 slices prociutto (thin sliced, then cut length wise to make 20 pieces)

Combine the cheeses, add the chopped basil and salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the cheese in the dates, then take the prociutto and wrap it around the date, securing it with a toothpick. That's it.

This appetizer looks beautiful displayed on a glass serving tray. It is so rich that you can figure no more than two per person. The sweetness of the date combined with the tangy goat cheese and salty prociutto is a perfect blend of heaven. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.