Stuffed Dates Two Ways
from http://www.healthyfoodforliving.com/

Stuffed Dates Two Ways: goat cheese-neufchatel mixture with whole toasted almonds,
blue cheese-neufchatel blend with toasted walnut pieces.

Stuffed dates are an easy but impressive hors d'oeuvre that transcend seasonality. Equally well-suited for an elegant winter dinner party or a backyard summer BBQ, these two-bite delicacies balance sweet, salty, and tangy flavors as well as chewy, creamy, and crunchy textures. Half of the dates are stuffed with a goat cheese-neufchatel mixture and studded with whole toasted almonds, the other half are filled with a blue cheese-neufchatel blend and topped with toasted walnut pieces.

The mild neufchatel cream cheese helps to balance out the piquant flavors of the goat cheese and blue cheese, making the filling more pleasing to a range of palates. Lightly toasting the almonds and walnuts brings out their rich nuttiness, and the added crunch is a nice textural contrast to the soft dates and creamy cheese.

14 large soft Medjool dates, sliced lengthwise halfway through & pitted
1 oz goat cheese, at room temperature
1 oz reduced fat blue cheese (such as Stella), at room temperature
2 oz neufchatel, (1/3-less-fat cream cheese), divided, at room temperature
14 whole almonds
about 2 Tbsp walnut pieces

Preheat toaster oven or conventional oven to 400 degrees F.

Spread the almond and walnuts onto a small baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove nuts from baking sheet and allow to cool.

In a small bowl, stir together goat cheese and 1 oz neufchatel until well combined. Using a piping bag or a small spoon, stuff 7 pitted dates with goat cheese mixture. Gently press 2 almonds into each goat cheese-stuffed date.

In a separate small bowl, stir together the blue cheese and remaining 1 oz neufchatel until well combined. Using a piping bag or a small spoon, stuff the remaining 7 pitted dates with blue cheese mixture.

Gently press a few walnut pieces into each blue cheese-stuffed date.

If preparing stuffed dates a day in advance, refrigerate until a few hours prior to serving. Best when served at room temperature.