March 22 – Last Word & Cheese Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Prosciutto
So what about a cocktail-a-day and a little something to go with it? Seems like a solid project to keep the creative juices flowing and give us a little something to look forward to as 5pm rolls around everyday. So, for today, let’s try a Last Word. In our house, we are always looking for cocktails which use Chartreuse. My husband has an unhealthy affection for Chartreuse, ever since discovering an ancient bottle of it at my Swiss grandmother’s house over 25 years ago. Chartreuse was a favorite of my Swiss grandfather, and we still have that original bottle, funneling in new Chartreuse every time it becomes empty. If you’ve been to our house to eat, I promise you’ve been offered Chartreuse as a digestive after dinner.
Cheese Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Prosciutto
This recipe is adapted from Ina Garten. She uses blue cheese but since my family doesn’t like blue cheese, I used Stilton with Apricots.
Serves 6
24 large dried dates
6 oz soft cheese (blue cheese, Borsin, or another soft cheese)
8-10 slices prosciutto
Honey for drizzle
Preheat oven to 400. Place a sheet of parchment on a sheet pan and spray or oil it lightly.
Use a paring knife to slit each date lengthwise (don’t cut all the way through) and open enough to remove pit, and place about a 1⁄2 teaspoon of cheese inside the cavity. Close the date, folding it over the cheese.
Cut the prosciutto into strips as wide as the dates and wrap each date twice. Place onto sheet pan and bake about 7 minutes.
Remove from oven and drizzle with honey.
Last Word
The original Last Word was created in 1951 by Ted Saucier. It is equal parts gin, Chartreuse, Luxardo, and lime juice.
Makes 2 cocktails
1 1⁄2 oz gin
1 1⁄2 oz Chartreuse (green)
1 1⁄2 oz maraschino liqueur (Luxardo)
1 1⁄2 oz lime juice
You’ll need two stemmed cocktail glasses (martini glasses work well) and if you have the freezer space, put them there to chill and frost while you make the cocktails.
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice and add all ingredients. Shake well and strain into your frosted glasses. Garnish with a circle of lime.