Bacon Wrapped Dates Appetizer

Bacon wrapped dates.  Possibly the best appetizer of all time.  In fact, we make these for dinner sometimes, just so we can eat them more often.  They're seriously that good!  This is actually only my second time making them because my husband always does it, but I did a pretty good job!  You have to try these sometime even if you think you don't like dates.  I promise if you like bacon then you'll like dates wrapped in bacon!

Ingredients for 12 bacon wrapped dates:

12 almonds, blanched

12 Deglet dates, pitted (other dates may work as well, but these seem to be the right size)

6 slices of bacon cut in half

Directions:

1. Blanch almonds by placing them in boiling water for about a minute.  You'll be able to see the skin get a little baggy and after you remove them from the water, they just slide right out!

2. Push one almond into each date.

3. Wrap each date in half a slice of bacon. Secure with toothpick.

4. Place on tin foil covered cookie sheet.

5. Set oven to 400 degrees and then place cookie sheet in oven.  There's some trick to letting the bacon come to temperature with the oven.  Watch the bacon and turn dates carefully once the bacon starts to brown.  Remove from oven when the bacon is cooked to your desired crispiness.

6. Let cool.

7. Enjoy! 

We've made a variation with blue cheese stuffed inside the date, which is also very good!  Yay for Super Bowl and another excuse to eat bacon wrapped dates!

  Linking up to...