Prosciutto and bacon-wrapped dates, stuffed with goat's cream cheese and walnut, and glazed with honey are an absolute flavour bomb!

I was looking for a simple recipe to quickly make a savoury dish for a work bake-off tomorrow.

After searching online and consulting AI chef, I came up with a shortlist of three, and this one really stood out.

They hit that perfect devils on horseback sweet-and-savory note, and because they are bite-sized, people can easily grab one with a toothpick.

When baked, the date turns incredibly soft and jammy, contrasting beautifully with the crispy bacon. The walnut gives it a lovely texture.

It's important to use streaky bacon because sufficient length is needed to wrap around the stuffed dates.

I bought two packs and actually ran out! Luckily I had some prosciutto in the fridge and used that for about half the dates.

That meant separate cooking times to not burn the prosciutto. They had six minutes before being taken out to glaze with honey, then an extra three minutes to finish. The bacon-wrapped dates were in the oven for 15 minutes after the bacon was pre-baked for six minutes. They turned out slightly crispy but not overdone.

Just a note on the cost of pitted Medjool dates at $14 for 22, that's outrageous.

Prosciutto & bacon-wrapped dates

Ingredients

• 12-15 Medjool dates, pitted

• 12-15 strips of thin streaky bacon, cut in half crosswise (or prosciutto ribbons)

• 50g goat cream cheese

• Walnut halves or pieces

• 2-3 tbsp honey

• Toothpicks

Method

1. Prep: Preheat oven to 200 degrees (180 fan-forced). Slice a slit down the length of each date.

2. Stuff: Place a piece of walnut inside each date, spoon in about half a teaspoon of goat cream cheese, and gently press the sides back together. Clean up any excess cheese from the outside.

3. Wrap: Wrap a half-strip of bacon (or prosciutto ribbon) tightly around the center of the date, completely covering the seam where it was stuffed. Push a toothpick straight through the bacon overlap and the center of the date to lock it in place.

4. Bake: Line a tray with baking paper. Arrange the dates in a single layer. Bake bacon-wrapped dates for 15 minutes (if using prosciutto, bake for only 8-10 minutes) until the meat is cooked and starting to crisp.

5. Glaze: Remove from the oven, brush or drizzle the tops with honey, and return to the oven for an additional 2-3 minutes until the glaze is bubbling and caramelized.

6. Finish: Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

7. Storage: Once completely cold, store in an airtight container lined with baking paper in a single layer. Refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.