Spiced Dates With Mascarpone Cheese

Name: Spiced Dates With Mascarpone Cheese
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 bottle light-bodied red wine, like beaujolais; 8 medjool dates; 16 whole almonds, skin on,lightly toasted; 59.14 ml honey; 14.79 ml whole black peppercorn; 14.79 ml clove; 14.79 ml grated orange zest, dry or fresh; 4 whole allspice berries; 2 two inch cinnamon sticks; 1 dried bay leaf; 113.39 g mascarpone cheese, room temperature; sea salt, for serving

Submitted by Mirj2338

"Fancy shmancy, but very easy to make. Very MiddleEastern/Mediterranean! You can serve it as a fruity appetizer or as a dessert."

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Ready In:: 35mins
Ingredients:: 12
Serves:: 4

ingredients

1 bottle light-bodied red wine, like beaujolais
8 medjool dates
16 whole almonds, skin on,lightly toasted
59.14 ml honey
14.79 ml whole black peppercorn
14.79 ml clove
14.79 ml grated orange zest, dry or fresh
4 whole allspice berries
2 two inch cinnamon sticks
1 dried bay leaf
113.39 g mascarpone cheese, room temperature
sea salt, for serving

directions

In a medium saucepan, bring the wine to a simmer.
Add the dates and poach until the skins blister.
With a slotted spoon, lift out the dates and, while warm, remove and discard the skins.
Cut open the dates on one long side, remove the pits and place two almonds in the center of each date.
Fold closed.
To the wine, add the honey, peppercorns, cloves, orange zest, allspice, cinnamon sticks and bay leaf.
Continue simmering until the wine is reduced by half, about 20 minutes.
Strain wine into a clean saucepan.
Add the dates to the wine and heat gently, over a medium low heat, until warmed through, but not hot, then remove from heat.
To serve, place a dollop of mascarpone in the center of each of four plates.
Spoon two dates and a little wine sauce on each plate, sprinkle lightly with sea salt and serve.

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Reviews

WOW Mirj, these are sooo special!! Not enough stars to give! First of all I thought cheeze, a whole bottle of wine, seemed like such a lot for 8 dates. Was I wrong, by the time it was reduced with the spices, it was exactly right. And the aroma while reducing, filled the house with heaven!! And the taste,I wish I had better words to describe it, the sweet warm spiceyness of the dates,almonds and sauce with the coolness of the mascarpone and the touch of salt was perfection!! I really have to restrain myself, I shouldn't even have had one, but I had to, the aroma just captured me and the devil made me do it!! One less for DH and the rest. This one will become a part of the special stuff we do for the Holiday season and for real special company! Thank-you so much for posting it.

Derf2440
I made it and i will make it again before rating it but this is what i think. First of all it's way too much wine. Even reduced by half it's way too much wine. I ended up using less than half of the reduced wine. Second - the listed amount of spices is too much. It gave the wine a bitter taste and an odd flavor that really didn't give any hint about cloves or pepper or anything but something not-quite-right. Maybe having to boil so much wine until is reduced by half took out all the flavors from the spices and I was left with their bitter taste. I'll try again using half the wine, 1/4 of spices or less and a pinch of salt to balance bitterness.

fuiu8890
Oh my goodness - this was amazing. I had this desert at Mario Batali's Lupa the other night and was dying to replicate it. This recipe is perfect!! Because it's so rich and sweet, I served it with a slightly chilled semi-dry Moscato di'Asti for balance. Hats off to you - the recipe is PERFECT! Thanks so much!

Sybarite

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Mirj2338

Givat Ze'ev, 0

Come and visit me on my blog:  <a href=http://www.miriyummy.wordpress.com>www.miriyummy.wordpress.com</a>   October 2011: It's been 10 years since I came into Zaar one day at the recommendation of someone on another website. If you ask my husband (or my coworkers), I haven't logged out since! <a href=http://www.TickerFactory.com/> <img src=http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/d/4;15;0/st/20011021/e/I Joined Zaar%21/dt/6/k/f656/event.png border=0 alt= /></a> So what's happened in the ten years since I became addicted to Zaar? Well, I've been happily married, happily divorced, and happily married once again. (Wanna see wedding pictures? Click <a href=http://community.webshots.com/user/mirjamdorn>here</a>.) <a href=http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/?action=view?t=chuppah2.jpg target=_blank><img src=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v240/mirj/chuppah2.jpg border=0 alt=Photobucket /></a> Originally from the Bronx, I've been living in Israel since 1983. I'm married to a brilliant man with the most yummy British accent (this is the part where he rolls his eyes and says, Yeah, yeah, yeah). Let's call him Sushiman, even though he hates that name. <a href=http://www.recipezaar.com/member/52282>Chia</a> gave him that nickname when I was trying to create a dinner to show off my culinary talents. I posted here on Zaar with questions about the menu and since sushi was the main focus of the meal, he became Sushiman. That dinner was just the first of what I hope will become a lifetime of meals together. This is a picture of us taken in September 2005 in Kew Gardens in London. 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