YIELD: 24 dates
TIME: 30 minutes
Sweet and Savory Ricotta Stuffed Dates
Ingredients
1 cup (100g) raw walnuts and pecans, well chopped
1 tablespoon (14g) Kite Hill butter, melted
2 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage, finely chopped
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
24 medjool dates (fresh and plump), pitted and left in tact as 1 date
4oz Kite Hill Ricotta
Method
Step 1.
Preheat oven to 300° F. Line a small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2.
Add melted butter to a medium sized bowl and stir in the herbs, maple, salt, and pepper. Add in the nuts and toss thoroughly to coat.
Step 3.
Pour onto baking sheet and spread evenly. Toast 10 minutes, stir, then toast another 5-10 until fragrant and golden. Let nuts fully cool (about 30 minutes).
Step 4.
Add ricotta to a small mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the cooled chopped nuts and mix together. Fill each date with 1 heaping teaspoon of ricotta mixture. You want the ricotta mixture to overflow from the top of the date. Place on a serving plate. Continue until all dates are filled. Sprinkle with remaining nuts. Serve at room temp.
Step 5.
Store in a sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Step 6.
Note: You can often find a mixture of the 3 herbs above in a “poultry pack” in the herb section of your store. Using a mixture of 2 of the herbs also works, but reduce to 2 teaspoons so it’s not too overpowering.