Sticky, Sweet & Salty Appetizer

And did I mention delicious? Because they really are. I was skeptical when I made these for my newly formed Supper Club last night but they were a huge hit.

They can be served warm, at room temp or--as I learned this morning after sampling a leftover Devil--cold and are equally fantastic. Which makes them pretty perfect for taking to holiday parties. Just make sure to let them cool for a few minutes after removing them from the oven... That bacon grease is HOT! (That's experience talking, folks.)

Enjoy!

Devils on Horseback

(From AllRecipes.com)

Ingredients

20 wooden toothpicks

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

20 dates, pitted and left whole

20 whole smoked almonds

10 bacon slices, cut in half crosswise

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Soak the toothpicks in a bowl of water. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce and ground ginger. Place the brown sugar into a shallow bowl. Spread open a pitted date, then stuff it with a smoked almond. Wrap the date with half a bacon slice, secure it with a toothpick, dip the bundle in soy sauce mixture, and then dip it into brown sugar. Place the wrapped dates into the prepared baking dish. If desired, sprinkle a little more brown sugar over the bundles.

Bake in the preheated oven until the bacon is brown and crisp, 15 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes before serving; serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTE: I made another batch the same way but subbed small chunks of gouda for the almonds. I think a more pungent cheese (like asiago) would be even better.