Spiced Dates With Mascarpone Cheese

Mirj's Note:

Fancy shmancy, but very easy to make. Very MiddleEastern/Mediterranean! You can serve it as a fruity appetizer or as a dessert.

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 bottle light-bodied red wine , like beaujolais
• 8 medjool dates
• 16 whole almonds , skin on,lightly toasted
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorn
• 1 tablespoon clove
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest , dry or fresh
• 4 whole allspice berries
• 2 two inch cinnamon sticks
• 1 dried bay leaf
• ¼ lb mascarpone cheese , room temperature
• sea salt , for serving

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the wine to a simmer.
2. Add the dates and poach until the skins blister.
3. With a slotted spoon, lift out the dates and, while warm, remove and discard the skins.
4. Cut open the dates on one long side, remove the pits and place two almonds in the center of each date.
5. Fold closed.
6. To the wine, add the honey, peppercorns, cloves, orange zest, allspice, cinnamon sticks and bay leaf.
7. Continue simmering until the wine is reduced by half, about 20 minutes.
8. Strain wine into a clean saucepan.
9. Add the dates to the wine and heat gently, over a medium low heat, until warmed through, but not hot, then remove from heat.
10. To serve, place a dollop of mascarpone in the center of each of four plates.
11. Spoon two dates and a little wine sauce on each plate, sprinkle lightly with sea salt and serve.

Reviews

[Derf]

WOW Mirj, these are sooo special!! Not enough stars to give! First of all I thought cheeze, a whole bottle of wine, seemed like such a lot for 8 dates. Was I wrong, by the time it was reduced with the spices, it was exactly right. And the aroma while reducing, filled the house with heaven!! And the taste,I wish I had better words to describe it, the sweet warm spiceyness of the dates,almonds and sauce with the coolness of the mascarpone and the touch of salt was perfection!! I really have to restrain myself, I shouldn't even have had one, but I had to, the aroma just captured me and the devil made me do it!! One less for DH and the rest. This one will become a part of the special stuff we do for the Holiday season and for real special company! Thank-you so much for posting it.

[fuiu]

I made it and i will make it again before rating it but this is what i think. First of all it's way too much wine. Even reduced by half it's way too much wine. I ended up using less than half of the reduced wine. Second - the listed amount of spices is too much. It gave the wine a bitter taste and an odd flavor that really didn't give any hint about cloves or pepper or anything but something not-quite-right. Maybe having to boil so much wine until is reduced by half took out all the flavors from the spices and I was left with their bitter taste. I'll try again using half the wine, 1/4 of spices or less and a pinch of salt to balance bitterness.

[Sybarite]

Oh my goodness - this was amazing. I had this desert at Mario Batali's Lupa the other night and was dying to replicate it. This recipe is perfect!! Because it's so rich and sweet, I served it with a slightly chilled semi-dry Moscato di'Asti for balance. Hats off to you - the recipe is PERFECT! Thanks so much!