Chevre Devils
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A&M say: Yes, gingerroot just entered these beauties in our Open House contest but we've long had our eye on them. The thyme-spiked chevre and crackly spiced pecans are perfect foils for sticky sweet Medjool dates. Amanda called them "thirsty-making" and therefore ideal for an open house. Notes: We liked ours packed with goat cheese, and advise doubling the filling amounts (if you're chevre devils like us). You might also want to go scant on the 1/4 cup of agave, to avoid runoff and concentrate the spice. - A&M
gingerroot says: Why are stuffed (or wrapped) dates so delicious? For me, eaten alone, dates are almost too decadent – chewy with a cloying sweetness that likes to linger. Wrap dates in a cured pork or fill them with tangy goat cheese and it is a match made in heaven! I first had something like this years ago at a potluck and have been making variations of it ever since. I think this particular candied pecan recipe achieves the perfect balance of savory, sweet, spice and crunch. Whenever I make these, I get looks of pleasant surprise from the uninitiated and knowing smiles from those familiar with them. I especially like making these during the holiday season. Note: This recipe makes more pecans than stuffed dates; store extra pecans in an airtight container and they will keep for about a week. - gingerroot
Makes 24 stuffed dates (easily doubled)
for the candied pecans
- 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
- 1/4- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (depending on heat preference)
- 1/4 cup light agave
- 1 cup pecan halves
- pinches sea salt
for the dates
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon orange or tangerine zest
- 1/2 cup soft goat cheese (such as Montrachet), set in a bowl at room temperature to soften a bit
- 24 Medjool dates, pitted by making a slit down the center and removing the pit, keeping the date as intact as possible
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine spices in a small bowl and stir to mix.
- Pour agave into small metal bowl or pie pan. Set bowl or pan over saucepan with small amount of boiling water for about a minute. This will make the agave easier to work with. Remove bowl or pan from heat.
- Add pecans to agave and toss to coat.
- Add spices to pecans and toss to coat.
- Spread pecans on prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
- Cook in the oven for 10 minutes, checking and stirring (agave should be bubbling) once or twice with a wooden spoon. Pecans should be fragrant and golden brown. Be careful not to burn the pecans.
- Remove pan from oven. As they cool, sprinkle pecans with a pinch of sea salt. Slowly begin separate the pecans from the parchment. If the pecans seem sticky, let them cool a little longer. When finished they should have a hard shell and a nice crunch.
- Mix thyme and orange zest into softened goat cheese, stirring to combine evenly.
- Using a sharp knife, make a slit in the top of each date and carefully remove the pit. Stuff dates with about 1/2 teaspoon of goat cheese, give or take some to fill the date.
- Top each stuffed date with a candied pecan. Arrange on serving platter and watch them disappear!
- This recipe is a Wildcard Contest Winner!
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Open House Dish
Tags: dinner party, Easy, finger food, Holidays, savory






2 months ago QueenSashy
I made them several times with orange zest, and also tried with lemon zest. Both were lovely. But the pecans, alone, OMG, they are addictive. I now make them regularly for the parties, as the guests cannot have enough. And just finished one batch to give friends for Christmas.
about 1 month ago gingerroot
Happy Holidays, Queen Sashy! I have to agree with you about the pecans, they disappear quickly, don't they? I'm so happy you enjoy these; I'll have to try them with lemon zest next time.
about 1 month ago QueenSashy
Happy Holidays gingerroot! As a matter of fact, I am eating you pecans right now :)
about 1 month ago healthierkitchen
I am too! I made these for our DC area book party and I love them. A delicious combination of flavors!
about 1 month ago gingerroot
Hooray! So glad you enjoy these, hk. Happy New Year!
2 months ago Flanerie
I made these for Thanksgiving, they disappeared quickly! Delicious! I used dark agave. They were beautiful! Thanks for this recipe.
about 1 month ago gingerroot
Thanks for letting me know, Flanerie! I'm so glad you enjoyed them. Sorry for the belated response. Happy Holidays!
6 months ago Trixie76ie
I made these for our cousin reunion this last weekend and they were a hit. Lovely fun to make, and the taste is amazing! I had a few people with scepically raised single eyebrows that were fun to watch turn into looks of pleasant surprise. They sure didn't last long. Thanks for this recipe, gingerroot!!!
6 months ago gingerroot
Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Trixie76ie! Sorry I did not respond sooner, I am not getting all my notifications and stumbled on your post today. That very reaction is my absolute favorite with these stuffed dates. I'm happy everyone enjoyed them.
12 months ago AmyRuth
I know its spring.... but I'm making these for take along to a little in home cooking experience and I'm looking forward to making new friends with these delicious morsels. Do you think I will? :") I've enjoyed them before and they are so delicious . If you are tempted..... make them! Simple.
11 months ago gingerroot
Oh, thank you so much AmyRuth! What a thoughtful comment. These are definitely friend making! Thanks for letting me know. : )
about 1 year ago Karlski
Hello, these look/sounds very good indeed. In my country it is not very common to use Agave. Is there a substitute for the agave? Thanks
about 1 year ago gingerroot
Hi! Thank you for your comment. You could substitute light corn syrup for the agave, or maybe even honey. Just be sure to watch the pecans so they don't burn. I'd love to hear how they turn out if you make them.
about 1 year ago Angela T. Macleod
Oh boy, these are sooooo yummy!!! Thank you
about 1 year ago gingerroot
Thank you, Angela! So glad you enjoyed them.
about 1 year ago oregon cassie
This tasted great but not sure what I did wrong with the pecans. I cut-back on the agave but the pecans were overly-sticky. Help -- any suggestions on what I did wrong?
about 1 year ago gingerroot
Hi oregon cassie, I live in Honolulu and because of the humidity have had trouble with candy/candied nuts before as well. I've figured out that using the freshest nuts possible is a must and sometimes they need to stay in a little longer than ten minutes (just be careful because they burn quickly). Also, they have to completely cool before they are crispy. I hope this is helpful, thanks for letting me know.
about 1 year ago Bevi
I made these for a cocktail party and they were a hit! Fortunately there was an overflow of the pecans, and I have been throwing them in my kales salads and are they ever good! Thanks!
about 1 year ago gingerroot
So happy they were enjoyed at your party, Bevi! I also love the pecans in salads, or even as a snack by themselves. Thanks for letting me know.
about 1 year ago Bevi
These are awesome! I assume I can make all the parts the day before and assemble at the last minute?
about 1 year ago gingerroot
Thanks, Bevi! Yes, you can candy the pecans and mix the goat cheese the day before. Store completely cooled pecans in an airtight container and just be sure to let the cheese come up to room temperature before stuffing to make it easier. Also, I've found that using fresh pecans is key - if they are stale, they don't crisp up after they are candied. Enjoy!
about 1 year ago Bevi
Thanks! I can't wait to make them!
about 1 year ago lapadia
Awesome, rave reviews, brought these to a party (finally) don't know why it took me so long, thanks for this recipe, gingerroot!
about 1 year ago gingerroot
Yipee! I'm so happy you made these and enjoyed. Thanks for letting me know, lapadia! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. : )
over 1 year ago Summer of Eggplant
A friend brought these for the cookbook party. Holy smokes, all the flavors you have going on in there are just awesome. Thanks for sharing.
about 1 year ago gingerroot
Hi Summer of Eggplant! Somehow I totally missed your comment and just found it now. I'm thrilled you enjoyed these!! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
over 1 year ago Sue Kranz
Made them for a party last night. Huge hit!! Lots of people wanted the recipe, so I'm sending them here:).
over 1 year ago Suzanne Dossous-Verdier
I made these for a party and while making them I tried one. i was blown away I idn't want to bring them to the party. Delicious!!!!
over 1 year ago gingerroot
Thanks for letting me know, Suzanne! I'm so glad you enjoyed them. They are one of my favorites.
over 1 year ago Suzanne Dossous-Verdier
Great Appetizer. I had one then I wanted to eat it all. Love it!!!
almost 2 years ago hardlikearmour
Made these last night for a party, they were amazing and got rave reviews! I wish I had leftovers, but these babies disappeared in the blink of an eye!
almost 2 years ago gingerroot
Really happy these were enjoyed at your party, hardlikearmour! Thanks for letting me know.
about 2 years ago dymnyno
I also love medjool dates and will be making these for tomorrow. I am a big fan of 5 spice.
about 2 years ago gingerroot
Hope these went over well at your Sunday (Superbowl?) gathering. I made them too and stuffed them with extra goat cheese as suggested by A & M.
about 2 years ago fiveandspice
Emily is a trusted source on Scandinavian Cuisine.
I made a variation on these for my New Year's party last night, but we didn't have any thyme (shocking!!!), so I subbed some crushed fennel and a tiny pinch of dried ginger. They were super tasty! I had a couple people who like neither dates nor goat cheese rave about them. Great party recipe! :)
about 2 years ago gingerroot
Love tastebud changing food magic! So glad you tried these and enjoyed them...crushed fennel and ginger sounds really good - I'll have to try that. Happy New Year, fiveandspice!
about 2 years ago garlic&lemon
Just made these for an open house. My refrigerator thieves had eaten the oranges - subbed scant 1/4 tsp Boyajian orange oil. And used Trader Joe's sweet and spicy pecans. Fast, easy, and delicious. All gone!
about 2 years ago Midge
These sound seriously addictive, gingerroot. Congrats on the wildcard!
about 2 years ago Loves Food Loves to Eat
Sounds so good! Love stuffed dates!