Bacon and Cheese Dates with Anchovy Cream Cheese Spread

Katrina Lagman is a certified dessert fiend. A treasure trove of knowledge of the sweetest offerings in the city, She’s the best person to share a meal with because you will never skip dessert! Here, she tries her hand at appetizers—to delectable results.

Serves 8  Prep Time 12 minutes  Baking Time 20 minutes

1 (200-gram tub) cream cheese
1 2-ounce can anchovy fillets
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced capers
          (To learn more, click Acquired Taste: 6 Facts About Capers)
4 green olives, finely chopped
black pepper for seasoning
juice of half a lemon

For the Bacon and Cheese Dates
manchego cheese
250 grams pitted dates
          (Know more, here: The Dish on Dried Dates)
500 grams bacon

1  Make the spread: In a bowl, mix cream cheese, anchovies, garlic, capers, and olives together until very well incorporated.

2  Season with black pepper, then add lemon juice. Mix well.  (Serving tip: This spread tastes better when made a day before serving.)

3  Make the bacon and cheese dates: Slice cheese into strips a little shorter than the dates.

4  Stuff the cheese into the hole where the dates’ pits used to be.

5  Wrap each date in bacon, then secure with a toothpick.

6  Put these on a rack, which is placed on top of a pan to catch the bacon drippings.

7  Bake in a preheated 350ºC oven for 20 minutes or until the bacon is cooked. Let it cool for a while before serving.

Photography by David Hanson |  Produced by Angelo Comsti  | Props: Ac+362, Robinsons Department Store, Rustan’s Department Store, Living Well, and Kyocera