by gingerroot
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A&M's Testing Notes:
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Expand2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (depending on heat preference) Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 cup light agave Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon dried thyme Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon orange or tangerine zest Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup soft goat cheese (such as Montrachet), set in a bowl at room temperature to soften a bit Ask a question about this ingredient
24 Medjool dates, pitted by making a slit down the center and removing the pit, keeping the date as intact as possible Ask a question about this ingredient
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Ask a question about this stepPrepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper and set aside.
Ask a question about this stepCombine spices in a small bowl and stir to mix.
Ask a question about this stepPour agave into small metal bowl or pie pan. Set bowl or pan over saucepan with small amount of boiling water for about a minute. This will make the agave easier to work with. Remove bowl or pan from heat.
Ask a question about this stepAdd pecans to agave and toss to coat.
Ask a question about this stepAdd spices to pecans and toss to coat.
Ask a question about this stepSpread pecans on prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
Ask a question about this stepCook in the oven for 10 minutes, checking and stirring (agave should be bubbling) once or twice with a wooden spoon. Pecans should be fragrant and golden brown. Be careful not to burn the pecans.
Ask a question about this stepRemove pan from oven. As they cool, sprinkle pecans with a pinch of sea salt. Slowly begin separate the pecans from the parchment. If the pecans seem sticky, let them cool a little longer. When finished they should have a hard shell and a nice crunch.
Ask a question about this stepMix thyme and orange zest into softened goat cheese, stirring to combine evenly.
Ask a question about this stepUsing a sharp knife, make a slit in the top of each date and carefully remove the pit. Stuff dates with about 1/2 teaspoon of goat cheese, give or take some to fill the date.
Ask a question about this stepTop each stuffed date with a candied pecan. Arrange on serving platter and watch them disappear!
Ask a question about this stepOh, thank you so much AmyRuth! What a thoughtful comment. These are definitely friend making! Thanks for letting me know. : )
Hello, these look/sounds very good indeed. In my country it is not very common to use Agave. Is there a substitute for the agave? Thanks
Hi! Thank you for your comment. You could substitute light corn syrup for the agave, or maybe even honey. Just be sure to watch the pecans so they don't burn. I'd love to hear how they turn out if you make them.
Oh boy, these are sooooo yummy!!! Thank you
Thank you, Angela! So glad you enjoyed them.
This tasted great but not sure what I did wrong with the pecans. I cut-back on the agave but the pecans were overly-sticky. Help -- any suggestions on what I did wrong?
Hi oregon cassie, I live in Honolulu and because of the humidity have had trouble with candy/candied nuts before as well. I've figured out that using the freshest nuts possible is a must and sometimes they need to stay in a little longer than ten minutes (just be careful because they burn quickly). Also, they have to completely cool before they are crispy. I hope this is helpful, thanks for letting me know.
I made these for a cocktail party and they were a hit! Fortunately there was an overflow of the pecans, and I have been throwing them in my kales salads and are they ever good! Thanks!
So happy they were enjoyed at your party, Bevi! I also love the pecans in salads, or even as a snack by themselves. Thanks for letting me know.
These are awesome! I assume I can make all the parts the day before and assemble at the last minute?
Thanks, Bevi! Yes, you can candy the pecans and mix the goat cheese the day before. Store completely cooled pecans in an airtight container and just be sure to let the cheese come up to room temperature before stuffing to make it easier. Also, I've found that using fresh pecans is key - if they are stale, they don't crisp up after they are candied. Enjoy!
Awesome, rave reviews, brought these to a party (finally) don't know why it took me so long, thanks for this recipe, gingerroot!
Yipee! I'm so happy you made these and enjoyed. Thanks for letting me know, lapadia! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. : )
A friend brought these for the cookbook party. Holy smokes, all the flavors you have going on in there are just awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Summer of Eggplant! Somehow I totally missed your comment and just found it now. I'm thrilled you enjoyed these!! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Made them for a party last night. Huge hit!! Lots of people wanted the recipe, so I'm sending them here:).
I made these for a party and while making them I tried one. i was blown away I idn't want to bring them to the party. Delicious!!!!
Thanks for letting me know, Suzanne! I'm so glad you enjoyed them. They are one of my favorites.
Great Appetizer. I had one then I wanted to eat it all. Love it!!!
Made these last night for a party, they were amazing and got rave reviews! I wish I had leftovers, but these babies disappeared in the blink of an eye!
Really happy these were enjoyed at your party, hardlikearmour! Thanks for letting me know.
I also love medjool dates and will be making these for tomorrow. I am a big fan of 5 spice.
Hope these went over well at your Sunday (Superbowl?) gathering. I made them too and stuffed them with extra goat cheese as suggested by A & M.
I made a variation on these for my New Year's party last night, but we didn't have any thyme (shocking!!!), so I subbed some crushed fennel and a tiny pinch of dried ginger. They were super tasty! I had a couple people who like neither dates nor goat cheese rave about them. Great party recipe! :)
Love tastebud changing food magic! So glad you tried these and enjoyed them...crushed fennel and ginger sounds really good - I'll have to try that. Happy New Year, fiveandspice!
Just made these for an open house. My refrigerator thieves had eaten the oranges - subbed scant 1/4 tsp Boyajian orange oil. And used Trader Joe's sweet and spicy pecans. Fast, easy, and delicious. All gone!
These sound seriously addictive, gingerroot. Congrats on the wildcard!
Sounds so good! Love stuffed dates!
Thanks, monkeymom!!
I've always wanted to make a stuffed date at home and never felt that inspired--until now. Can't wait to try them this weekend. Congratulations on the win.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment. Would love to know what you think about them.
Warmed these up in the oven before serving. Confirmed... delicious and thirsty making!
I've made these countless times and never thought to warm first...I will have to try that the next time I make them. Thanks for your thoughtful comments!
Congrats on the Wildcard win! I kept coming back to these as well, and I'm sure they'll be making an appearance at our table this holiday season!
Thank you, lastnightsdinner! If you make them I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Congratulations on a great dish for your wildcard win!!! These look amazing! I'm so happy for you!
Thanks ChezSuzanne! The feeling is mutual. : )
These look great, gingerroot! Love the 5 spice powder.
The five spice powder definitely adds a indescribable sweet/savory flavor profile to the goat cheese that I love. Thanks so much, healthierkitchen! If you try these, I'd love to know what you think.
Congratulations Gingerroot! These sounds incredible with a wonderful combination of flavors and textures.
Thanks, TasteFood! They are definitely my go-to cocktail party appetizer - easy to put together and always get a big reception.
Thanks cbear1984...I do hope you try them, they are really easy to make!
Congrats, gingerroot! Wonderful recipe! I have shared your dreams of orange zest lately!
Thanks Sagegreen! Your warm endive slippers are calling my name...
Thanks, lapadia!!
Congrats gingeroot. I looveeee the combination.
Thanks, KB! It is a good combination, one that I find quite addictive. : )
It was such a lovely surprise, thanks so much, TiggyBee. : )
Congratulations gingerroot. These look like a really refreshing change from the usual.
Thank you, thirshfeld.
Congratulations! These look fabulous. I agree, what is it that makes stuffed dates so delicious?
Thanks, fiveandspice! I don't know what it is about them, but when faced with a plate of these I definitely eat a few too many. : )
What a completely fantastic, wild surprise!! My day is off to a terrific start, thanks to all for your thoughtful comments!
awesome! congratulations!
Hurrah gingerroot! These look awesome - and you gotta love someone who dreams their recipes :-)
:-), the stuff of which great cooks are made is dreams...and cooking them to reality!
Thanks hardlikearmour and mrslarkin! I had a dream about these and when I woke up, realized that I needed to add some orange zest to the goat cheese. I made them tonight with the zest and they are even better.
yum, yum, yum....these sound delish!
Mollie is the best-selling author of many (mostly) vegetarian cookbooks, including the original Moosewood Cookbook, The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, and a trilogy of cookbooks for kids. Her most recent title is Get Cooking : 150 Simple Recipes to Get You Started in the Kitchen.
I know its spring.... but I'm making these for take along to a little in home cooking experience and I'm looking forward to making new friends with these delicious morsels. Do you think I will? :") I've enjoyed them before and they are so delicious . If you are tempted..... make them! Simple.