Basically candy in health form.
These dates are so creamy and loaded with deliciousness that you might forget what it is you’re actually eating- a date.
Nadav(who is 1) is obsessed and I mean OBSESSED with these- I cut them into little pieces and I might admit that he ate half a tray of them once. I ate the other half. This is what happens when we are home alone together and recipe testing and we come up with something reallllyyy good.
Which happens often when dates are involved!!! and Lotus spread, and chocolate, and maple candied walnuts.
This is Nadav eating dates(and rocks if you look a little closer HAHA).
Just biting into one of these, hitting the chocolate crunch and then the real walnut crunch, and then sinking your teeth into sweet medjool date, is addictive.
Stuffed dates should last for a while(I think- they never actually last long in my house) because dates are great like that, so you can keep these in your fridge and satisfy your cravings anytime.
Because these “candies” are also really gorgeous you can serve them up as a dessert for hosting!!! Aren’t we always looking for make-ahead-desserts on the healthier side??! YES WE ARE.
To make: prep your ingredients.
1.Buy nice large, sweet Medjool dates- be sure they are soft and not dried up on the outsides. Remove the little hard piece at the top, open up and remove the pit. Check each date to make sure it is clean! If they rip into two pieces that’s okay- they are sticky and will hold together just fine.
2.With a spoon, mix together your filling- Lotus spread, peanut butter, and honey, until it is nice and creamy and begging to be eaten. It will beg, trust me.
3.Roast the walnuts- drizzle walnuts with maple syrup and roast or toast in the oven for a few minutes.
4.Melt chocolate- dark or milk(I used dark), in the microwave or in a double boiler. I keep the extra chocolate in an airtight container- I use these glass pyrex containers so when I want to make some dates, I can just take off the lid and pop the container into the micro!
Assemble all of your ingredients. Fill each date with filling, and press the two halves together. You want to put extra so it comes out at the top a little- and press a walnut or two- into the filling. This will keep the walnut in place.
Once all the dates are stuffed, drizzle dates with chocolate, and press another walnut into the top. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, place on a parchment sheet and into the fridge to harden. Remove right before serving or snacking. Enjoy!
Are you following estee_bestie on Instagram yet?!
Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast with Mushrooms
Equipment
- cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast or other boneless chicken
Chicken Breading
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Mushroom Sauce
- 2 cup mushrooms, sliced thin
- 5 cloves garlic, grated or crushed
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup mirin(Japanese rice wine, can sub with white wine)
- 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
Cornstarch Slurry
- 1 Tbs cornstarch
- 1 Tbs water
Instructions
Sear Chicken
- Pound chicken to even thickness. Add flour, cornstarch, and spices to a metal baking dish and mix. Dredge chicken pieces on both sides to coat well.Meanwhile, heat olive oil in your skillet.Sear chicken on both sides until golden and lightly crispy, around 4 minutes per side. Set aside.
Make the sauce
- To the skillet with any leftover olive oil, add garlic and cook for one minute. Add mushrooms and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add herbs, stock, and seasonings, and cook until bubbling and beginning to cook down, 4-5 minutes.
- Mix cornstarch and water for the slurry and pour into the gravy, stir to combine.Nestle in the chicken and spoon over the sauce. Serve immediately with mashed potatoes or rice! if you want to make this in advance add the chicken into the gravy right before you plan to serve it to keep the chicken from getting soggy!Enjoy!
![Vegan Date and Pecan Bars [Chocolate Covered]](https://soulandstreusel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_9212-920x400.jpg)
Yum yum! My mouth is watering just by looking at these clicks. I am gonna have to try it out your way asap.
Perfect new addition to our holiday get together this year!
and healthy too;)
I’ve never had dates with pb and lotus spread. These sound fabulous.
they are a perfect match!
I love dates just as they are but these are just next level. I haven’t had peanut butter with them before. It’s a match made in heaven.