Baked Bacon Wrapped Dates

Ok, repeat those words - Baked Bacon Wrapped Dates. OMG. No, they are not all that good for you, but fortunately, you can be most satisfied with one or two which makes them extremely mindful if you take your time and focus on the incredibly delicious combination of savory bacon and the sweetness of the dates magically transformed to a near candy state through the magic of mindfully applied oven heat. If you are a calorie counter, click here for the per date information. I'll post a pic next time I make them.

To make 12 bacon wrapped dates you will need:

12 pitted whole dates
4 slices of good quality bacon such as meaty applewood smoked bacon
toothpicks

All you have to do is:

Cut the bacon into thirds* and wrap each third around a date. Secure with toothpicks.

Place them in a casserole dish sprayed with Pam, and put them in an oven that has been preheated to 350 F. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. They will be most brown and lovely.

Cool a little bit because the melty hot dates will burn you if you taste too soon...but don't wait too long, maybe 10 minutes. You want to eat these little guys while the date is warm and gooey. They reheat well, so if you are taking them to a party go ahead and bake them at home. Then nuke a minute or two when you get to the party.

Some people like to stuff cheese of a creamy nature inside the date, but I think that is overkill and removes the element of mindful balance from the sweet savory experience. Do it if you must.

Obviously, you can adjust this recipe very easily to increase or decrease the amount you make.

*If the dates are large, you may need to use 1/2 a slice of bacon to each date. Just make sure that the date is entirely wrapped so it doesn't permanently melt to the casserole when it cooks. Too much bacon does not improve the experience, so use whichever length wraps once around the date with just a smidge of overlap. Also, I prefer the smaller dates, in order to keep the ratio of sweet to savory correct, so if you have a choice, pick the smaller dates.