Datewalnutandbluecheeseball Recipes

Steps:

• Place first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Add dates, shallots, lemon rind, salt and pepper, beat at medium speed until well blended, scraping sides of bowl as necessary.
• Spoon cheese mixture onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Form into a ball; using a rubber spatula. Wrap cheese ball in plastic wrap; chill overnight.
• Combine parsley and walnuts in a shallow dish. Unwrap cheese ball; gently roll ball in nut mixture, coating well. Place on a serving plate. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Put the bacon slices on a rack set over a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crispy, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, and then crumble or cut with a knife into bite-size pieces. Remove the rack from the baking sheet and reserve the baking sheet with the bacon fat. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
• Quarter each date lengthwise. Cut each quartered piece into 4 pieces, yielding 32 pieces total.
• Put the panko breadcrumbs and milk into a large mixing bowl and let the mixture sit for 2 to 3 minutes so that the breadcrumbs can absorb the milk. Add the ground beef, crumbled bacon, half of the chopped parsley, the egg, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and some black pepper and use your hands to mix until just combined.
• Place 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture in the palm of your hand. Flatten it slightly and place 1/2 teaspoon crumbled blue cheese and 1 to 2 pieces of the dates in the center. Top with 1 more tablespoon of the meat mixture and enclose the filling, rolling the mixture in the palms of your hands to form a round meatball. Place the meatball onto the baking sheet that was used to cook the bacon. Roll the meatball around in the rendered bacon fat to evenly coat. Repeat this process with the remaining meat mixture and filling, making about 24 meatballs total.
• Bake the meatballs until browned and cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes. Garnish with the remaining chopped parsley and place a decorative toothpick into each meatball.

Steps:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir dates and white sugar in the melted butter until thick and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in crispy rice cereal and pecans. Let mixture cool until easily handled, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Form mixture into small balls using your hands.
• Pour confectioners' sugar into a resealable bag; add date-nut balls and lightly shake bag until balls are coated.

Steps:

• If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes.
• Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350° to 450°F).
• In a small saucepan combine the vinegar and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
• In a small bowl mash the blue cheese and pecans together with a fork. Make a small slice the length of each date and pull out the pit. Stuff each date with about 1 teaspoon of the cheese mixture, pressing it closed as much as possible. Thread two dates on each skewer so that the skewer goes through both halves of each date. Lightly spray with the canola oil.
• Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the dates over direct medium heat, with the lid closed, until heated through, about 1 minute.
• Arrange the dates on a platter and let cool for 10 minutes. Serve the dates warm with the glaze.

Steps:

• Using a sharp paring knife, cut a slit into each date (remove pits, if needed); stuff with blue cheese. Arrange on a serving platter and sprinkle the almonds on top. Drizzle with honey.

Steps:

• Process walnuts, dates, coconut, sesame oil, sea salt, and vanilla extract together in a food processor until combined. Roll date mixture into bite-size balls; refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.