It’s Ramadan, so we absolutely need a date recipe. Delicious on their own, but when I was younger, I couldn’t eat them unless they were stuffed with cheddar cheese - this was my dads brilliant way to get us to eat them. This is a more sophisticated version of that. These dates are perfect for any Iftaar party - they're stuffed with tangy goat cheese and wrapped in savoury basturma. Basturma, a garlicky deli meat commonly found in the Middle East and Europe, is the perfect accompaniment to these sweet and sticky dates.
Stuffed and Wrapped Dates
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 0 minutes Yield: 32-35 dates
INGREDIENTS
32-35 dates, pitted
1/2 cup goat cheese, softened
75-100 g basturma, cut into thin strips
2 tbs honey
1/2 tsp Turkish hot pepper flakes
2 tbs crushed pistachios
DIRECTIONS
To a mixing bowl, add the goat cheese. With an electric hand mixer, whip the cheese over medium speed for 1-2 mins till light and fluffy.
Split the dates open (but don't break them) and use a teaspoon to dollop a little bit of goat cheese into it. Repeat until all cheese is done.
Cut the basturma into 1 - 1 & 1/2 inch strips, and wrap around the dates.
To a small microwave safe bowl, add the honey and Turkish chili flakes. Microwave for 15-20 seconds until the honey starts bubbling. Mix to combine.
Drizzle the hot honey evenly over the dates, then sprinkle with pistachios. Serve immediately, or keep covered in the fridge till ready to serve.