Pistachio-Dusted Date and Goat Cheese “Truffles”

I’m posting a few of these great appetizer recipes since I recently catered a cocktail party and thought that you, out there in the world, might enjoy having these recipes on hand. These little numbers take a bit of time and are messy to construct, but the benefit is that they are relatively simple and you can make them 2 days ahead — just wrap and refrigerate and you’re good to go. Don’t make these too big, they are rich, so 2 bites should suffice. Everyone at the party I catered commented on these cheese truffles – they look really nice, and they cover so many elements – sweet, tart, salty, savory. You can’t go wrong. They would make a nice starter to an Indian themed get-together too. If you bring these to a party, you will get lots of ooohs and ahhhs. 😉

Pistachio-dusted Date and Goat Cheese “Truffles”

from Dish Entertains

makes about 20 truffles

4 oz goat cheese, softened

2 oz cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp cassis or port

salt and pepper to taste

10 dates, pitted and cut in half

1/2 cup pistachios, finely ground

Directions

In a bowl, mix together cream cheese and goat cheese. Add cassis or port and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until smooth. Chill for 30 minutes.

Measure out about 1 tbsp of cheese mixture and press a date half into it. Wrap cheese around date and roll into a ball. Roll cheese balls into ground pistachios to coat evenly. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve. Enjoy!