Chocolate-covered stuffed dates were intended as a Christmas idea, but they were so good they disappeared quickly. Definitely worth making again, but not just for Christmas. To think I don’t even like dates that much—I’m not crazy about them. In fact, I avoid buying them for myself, but there are those in the house who adore them, so I often find a pack here and there. That’s why I decided to create a delicious little chocolate treat to offer during the holidays, and I have to admit that stuffed dates with mixed fillings, covered in chocolate, beat any stuffed chocolate on the market. Unbelievable, right? For the fillings, I used whatever I had at home—almonds, walnuts, apricot jam, and Nutella. How could I leave out Nutella? I couldn’t. The coating is chocolate, both milk and dark. I wanted to use white chocolate too, but I realized I didn’t have any, so that’s out—but it’s worth trying with white chocolate as well. Let’s see how to make them. If you have a pack of dates and some chocolate, you can prepare them right away—it only takes 10 minutes.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4-8 people
- Cooking methods: Microwave, Slow Heat
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients for Chocolate-Covered Stuffed Dates
- 1 Dates (package)
- 5.3 oz Chocolate (dark or milk)
- as needed Toasted Almonds
- as needed Walnuts or
Tools for Chocolate-Covered Stuffed Dates
- 1 Bowl
Preparation
With a small knife, open the dates on one side and remove the pit if there is one, without separating the two halves. Instead of the pit, insert the filling. I made a mix, and you can prepare at least 8 of 4 different types with a pack of dates, but there’s nothing stopping you from making more since they’re in such high demand. For more batches, simply double the chocolate amounts.
To prepare our chocolate-covered stuffed dates, we first need to stuff the dates. Fill 8 with 1 toasted almond each. If we don’t have toasted almonds, we can toast them for a minute in the microwave at full power or a few minutes in a hot oven at 350°F. You can also use hazelnuts. After inserting the almond, close the date as before.
As I mentioned, instead of almonds, you can use hazelnuts or walnuts, but jam or Nutella is excellent for an even more indulgent version. Close the dates well as before after filling them all.
Now, melt the chocolate in a double boiler, on the stove in a saucepan immersed in another saucepan with water, or in the microwave, giving 40 seconds at a time at full power. When the chocolate starts to melt, continue outside the oven, stirring, and if necessary, give a few more seconds.
Using a small fork or tongs, take the stuffed dates and dip them in the melted chocolate. As you dip each one, place them on a sheet of parchment paper. You can also decorate with colored sprinkles.
Let them cool for a few minutes before removing the chocolate-covered stuffed dates and serving them. There’s no need to refrigerate them. They can be stored for several days, especially if they are well-sealed with chocolate and you use well-cooked jam, like homemade jam.
Make them yourself; dates like these turn into delicious chocolates.
Notes
Try the pignolata or honey Struffoli, a typical Calabrian Christmas dessert.
