Goat Cheese and Orange Honey Stuffed Dates
December is prime appetizer season. With so many gatherings and parties it’s always wise to have some back pocket recipes for when you don’t want to show up empty handed! These goat cheese and orange honey stuffed dates are the perfect bring along snack because they are incredibly portable, can be made ahead and are best served either slightly cool or at room temperature.
Soft cheese stuffed dates tend to feel a bit retro, but sometimes things trend for a reason. With this classic pairing of tangy, savoury and sweet you will surely be thinking, why don’t we eat more stuffed dates?
Does the type of date matter?
The majority of the time I am firmly a ‘use what you have or is easily accessible’ person, but an exception would be this recipe. I think it’s quite important that you use medjool dates. They are large enough to hold a significant amount of filling, have a super sweet almost caramel flavour, and are soft to the bite. All around it’s just an ideal date for a party snack.
Planning Ahead?
These dates are best made on the day you plan to serve them but feel free to make them earlier and store them in the fridge.
The orange honey can be made as far in advance as you would like to make it! And honestly, it’s so delicious you could absolutely double the recipe and use it in other recipes or your tea!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use a Medjool date?
Yes, if at all possible you should use a Medjool date. Their size and softness makes them an idea date for stuffing with cheese.
Can I just blend the honey in with the Goat Cheese?
Please learn from my mistakes. While a good idea in theory to save time when you add sugar to cheese it pulls all of the moisture from the cheese and turns it runny. You will quickly end up with soupy goat cheese.
Grocery List
Goat Cheese and Orange-Honey Stuffed Dates
Equipment
- Chefs Knife
- Cutting Board
- Microplane
- Small Pot
- Measuring Cups
- Rubber Spatula
- Food Processor
- Piping Bag
- Shallow Dish
- Spoon
Ingredients
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- 1/2 Orange
- 1/4 Cup Pistachios
- 16-18 Medjool Dates
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 200 g Goat Cheese
- Salt
- Flaky Salt
Instructions
- Orange HoneyZest and juice the orange directly into a small pot and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high and cook stirring frequently until it has reduced to a quarter cup. You will notice that the bubbles start to get larger and the honey becomes glossy again. Set aside to cool.
- While the honey cools, finely chop the pistachios and set aside in a shallow dish.Cut a slit lengthwise into the dates and remove the pits.Squeeze the two ends of the dates together between your thumb and forefinger to create little pockets.
- Whipped Goat CheeseWhile the orange honey cools, add the goat cheese and a pinch of salt to the bowl of a food processor. With the machine running drizzle in the teaspoon of olive oil.Blend in the food processor until the goat cheese is smooth and creamy, using a rubber spatula to clear the sides of the bowl as necessary. Transfer the goat cheese to a piping bag.
- AssemblyFill each date with goat cheese, top with a bean-sized amount of orange-honey and press into the pistachios cheese side down. Springle the top of each date with flaky salt.If you have any remaining honey you can drizzle it over top. Enjoy!
