My sister, Sarah S, made these tasty treats for us on Christmas Eve. Pretty much anything wrapped in bacon is good and these are no exception.

They are a bit of a Christmas package as inside each date you place a shelled pistachio and you lay a sliver of apricot alongside the date before wrapping the package in a piece of bacon. You get a mix of flavors – sweet from the date and apricot, nutty and earthy from the pistachio, and salty and smoky from the bacon. 

You can prepare these hors d’oeuvres the night before and pop them in the oven about 15 minutes before serving. You can also prepare and freeze them for up to a month – they will just need a bit more time to cook from frozen. 

Good-quality lean bacon is preferred for this recipe. You’ll get a good bacon taste without each piece being too greasy. Typically one pound of bacon contains 16 slices which is just what this recipe calls for as you’ll cut each piece in half crosswise.

These treats are gluten-free/wheat-free as long as the bacon you’re using is. Check the bacon package to ensure that there are no flavorings or additives that contain gluten. 

These are great for a party – perhaps even a New Year’s Eve gathering?

This festive platter was decorated by our nephews, Owen (age 16) and Carter (age 13), when they were very young. Their handprints were used to make reindeer.

Bacon-Wrapped Dates

 

Bacon-Wrapped Dates
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Recipe type: Appetizer
Author:
Serves: 32 pieces
Ingredients
  • 32 pitted dates (about 10 ounces)
  • 2 ounces salted whole pistachios, shelled (you may have extra)
  • 2 ounces dried apricots, cut into 32 strips
  • 1 pound (16 slices) lean good-quality bacon, thinly sliced and then halved crosswise (you’ll have 32 pieces)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a large cookie sheet with a rim with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Set aside.
  2. Stuff each date with 2 or 3 pistachios.
  3. Lay a stuffed date and apricot strip on top of each bacon slice. Roll to enclose.
  4. Transfer to the prepared cookie sheet.
  5. Bake for 8 minutes and flip. Bake for an additional 4 to 6 minutes until bacon is crisp.
  6. Transfer wrapped dates to paper towels to drain.
  7. Serve with toothpicks.
Notes
* Bacon-wrapped dates can be prepared (up until the baking step) and frozen for up to a month. You do not need to defrost them. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, flip, and bake 10 minutes more.
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Source:  Variation of a recipe from Martha Stewart