I did something crazy: I signed up for personal training with an elite, well-renowned trainer. Right before Christmas. To lose fat.
Right before Christmas. Crazy, right?
This is the season where everyone eats everything, the season of chocolate and cookies and baked things. We’ll talk about what I’m eating now (or not eating). But you don’t want to hear it. And I don’t want to tell it. Not now.
Instead, here’s a treat anyone can enjoy; even dieters, if they can hold themselves to just one or two.
There’s really not much to this dish. You’ll come off as a culinary master, but it’s stunningly easy to get this right. As always, there are some nuances to keep it stellar: pitting the dates and picking your bacon. For the dates: take the pit from the little stem nub to keep it neat and tidy. For the bacon: in any other circumstance, I’d say the opposite, but in this case, go with normal bacon. No fancy, double-smoked thick-cut bacon for this. The sweetness of the dates against the salty bacon is perfection; don’t mess with it.
Makes 20
- handful of brown sugar, about 1/4 cup
- sprinkle of cayenne or chipotle chili powder
- 10 slices bacon
- 20 Medjool dates, pitted
Heat your oven to 350°F
In the baking dish you will cook your dates, spread the brown sugar and chili powder. Take each slice of bacon and dredge it in the sugar to coat.
On a work surface, cut each piece of bacon in half. For each piece of bacon, place a date in the middle. Wrap the bacon around the date. Use a toothpick to keep it together. Place the date in the baking dish.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the bacon is cooked to your liking. Let cool for five minutes before serving.
