Ingredients:
- 24 Medjool dates, preferably pitted
- 1/4 pound thinly sliced prosciutto
- 3 ounces blue cheese
- 24 roasted salted almonds, preferably Marcona
Directions:
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees, with a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- If the dates are not already pitted, make an incision down the side of each one and remove the pits.
- Cut or tear the slices of prosciutto lengthwise into strips about 1 1/4 inches wide. If you don't wind up with a total of 24 strips, cut a few in half to make up the difference.
- Listening to Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue," stuff each date with a nub (about 1/2 teaspoon) of blue cheese and an almond.
- Gently press to close up the opening, then wrap the dates in the prosciutto strips. Place the dates on the baking sheet, cut side up so that the cheese doesn't all ooze out.
- Bake the dates until warm and slightly bubbling, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving. These are magical warm but totally acceptable at room temp.
Tip: With its creamy semisoft texture and funky but not-too-intense flavor, Saint Agur, which melts like a champ, is my preferred blue for this dish. That said, there really is no wrong blue cheese option here. Cambozola, a Brie-style blue, offers a luxe creaminess and milder flavor, while sharp Stilton gives the sweetness of the dates a more robust flavor to bump up against. A crumbly Danish variety wouldn't be the end of the world, especially if you prefer milder blues, and, since it's a drier cheese, it makes assembly a bit less messy.
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