Diane's Food Blog

These little bites pack a big punch: their crisp and salty exterior contrasts spectacularly with their soft and sweet interior. It’s a party in your mouth when the salty-sweet flavors and crunchy-gooey textures battle it out. Serve them as an appetizer or pass them off as dessert — they taste just as great either way!

Prosciutto-wrapped Dates
Yield: 60 pieces

30 fresh Medjool dates
6 ounces thinly-sliced prosciutto
Fresh basil for garnish (optional)

Slice dates in half lengthwise, removing the pits as they are exposed.

Cut prosciutto into small pieces; each section should be about as wide as a date and long enough to wrap completely around the date.

Kind of a sneaky way to measure this is to take the prosciutto out of the package, line up some dates along the length of it, and slice in between the dates. Now you know they’ll fit!

Place a date half at one end of the prosciutto piece and roll to the other end.

Place rolled dates on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or just until bubbling a bit on the bottom. Don’t overcook them: even if the prosciutto may not appear to be cooked, it will crisp up once it cools.

Allow to cool; serve warm or at room temperature.

I paired these dates with sparkling wines and they were fantastic! They went especially well with this Banfi Rosa Regale, a slightly sweet, sparkling red wine that adds just of a burst of berry to really complement the sweet and salty contrast.