Bacon-Wrapped Dates Filled with Pine Nut Butter and IPA

This Recipe for black forest bacon-wrapped dates filled with pine nut butter from The Foodie’s Beer Book: The Art of Pairing and Cooking with Beer for Any Occasion is a little more work than your typical bacon-wrapped date, but it is worth every minute spent. These dates are sweet, caramelized and bacon-y. The beer marinade and pine nut butter add a piney flavor that completely balances out this fantastic bite. We recommend making more of these than you think you need, because once you have one you will keep coming back for these savory little bites.

The recipe calls for an IPA beer, you may use any beer to your liking but The Foodie’s Beer Book recommends Union Jack IPA from Firestone Walker Brewing Company – “A medium copper gold beer with a white head.  This beer brings the strong bitter grapefruit and is balanced with light piney, herbal essence, light honeyed graham cracker sweetness, and tropical fruits.”

 RECIPE:

Serves 6 people

18 large dates, pitted

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

2 cups + 2 tablespoons IPA beer (recommended Firestone Walker’s Union Jack IPA)

1/8 teaspoon sea salt and pepper

6 pieces thick cut bacon

18 toothpicks

 Preparation: 

Combine the toasted pine nuts, 2 tablespoons IPA beer, salt, and pepper into a Cuisinart or blender. Blend until the pine nuts become butter and resemble almond butter.

Place the pine nut butter into a piping bag with a small round tip. If you do not have a piping back a Ziploc bag with the corner cut off will work. Fill each pitted date with the pine nut butter.

After all the dates are filled, refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the filling to firm up.

Cut the bacon into thirds getting 18 even pieces. Remove the dates from the refrigerator and wrap them with the bacon pieces, securing the bacon with a toothpick.

Place your dates in a small but deep dish and cover them with 2 cups of cold IPA, marinate the bacon dates for about 1 hour.

Remove them from beer and discard the beer marinade, cook the dates for about 12 minutes at 425 degrees. They should be golden brown and the bacon should be fully cooked. Best served warm.

Find More recipes like this in The Foodie’s Beer Book.  Read our review of the book here.