prep and cook time: 10 minutes
ingredients:
- package of Medjool dates (amount will simply depend on how much you are wanting to make. you cut them in half, so if you get 10 dates, there will be 20 yummy stuffed dates)
- organic cream cheese (i get it made from raw milk on a local farm-umm. sigh. best ever.)
- a handful or two of almonds, chopped
- honey
- an apple
- a lemon wedge
in a skillet, cast iron is my fave, toast up the almonds until they look and smell...well...toasty. careful not to burn them. obviously. i almost always have to go round two'sies on nut toasting (umm, i am sure there is a "that's what she said" joke in there somewhere). put them in a bowl and set aside.
now cut the dates in half longways and remove the pits. spoon cream cheese into the middle and fill the hole where the pit used to live. then, roll the cream cheese top in the almonds to coat each date, placing them on the plate you will be using in a circle, with space in the middle for your apple rose.
wash the apple and using a peeler, start peeling strips of apple as long as you can get them by going around and around it. squeeze some lemon juice on them and toss them to coat. the lemon prevents them from oxidizing and browning. try to arrange them curled around each other until it looks like a rose and place in the middle of the plate.
now drizzle, drizzle, drizzle the whole masterpiece with honey, dates and the rose, until well coated. enjoy.