Page 280 - A Literary Holiday Cookbook

Devils on Horseback: Bacon-

Wrapped Dates

Makes 18 bacon-wrapped dates

“I knew what he had made of a certain palace at Mazenderan. From being the most honest
building conceivable, he soon turned it into a house of the very devil, where you could not
utter a word but it was overheard or repeated by an echo.”

“Devils on Horseback” is the alternative name for bacon-wrapped dates, common and
beloved hors d’oeuvres. Delightfully elegant yet simple to make, these sweet and salty
nibbles are sure to capture everyone’s heart—phantoms included!

INGREDIENTS

1 (12-oz.) package whole Medjool dates with pits (approx. 18
dates) *

12 strips bacon (regular, not thick-cut)

INSTRUCTIONS

1 Preheat oven 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and

set aside. Cut a slit down the side of each date and ease out the pit
with the end of your knife (don’t worry about ruining the date; this

isn’t a delicate procedure).

2 Slice the bacon strips width-wise into thirds. Wrap one piece

around each date with the seam on top. Wrap another piece over the

top of each date, with the seam on the bottom.

3 Place your bacon-wrapped dates in rows on the baking sheet and

bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. Allow to rest on
top of the stove for 5 to 10 minutes to cool slightly.

Serve warm to the mysterious inhabitant of the catacombs under the Paris Opera House!