Prosciutto wrapped dates with brie – these delicious molten caramel-like stuffed dates are wonderful little gifts waiting to be unwrapped and devoured. They also make for delicious and super easy Thanksgiving Appetizers.

This recipe was created by an anxious mind and an overwhelming craving for comfort. It seems as though in the media there is a never ending thread of bad news. One thing after the other without any respite. The onslaught of never-ending updates and warnings feels like an arrest not only on the senses, but also the heart. Sometimes, at the end of the day the only feeling, or rather, sensation, is numb bewilderment.

Often I find that cooking is the best remedy for a restless heart and today’s recipe – free of fuss and taxing technical skills – definitely brought me back to myself. I concluded that if a simple recipe could induce a sense of effortless calm for me, then perhaps it could have the same effect for you. In fact, I am quietly confident that this instantly gratifying concoction is so delicious and wholesome that it will feed not only your appetite, but, in turn, your state of mind. 

My mother used to make something similar to serve at dinner parties and supper clubs in the nineties. She would source plump juicy Medjool dates then generously stuffed them with cream cheese finished off with a healthy sprinkle of cinnamon. Simple yet unapologetically luxurious, these little nibbles were full of sweet creamy goodness. Thinking back to those days, there was rarely a week that would go by without some kind of gathering: family, friends, friends of friends, neighbours or the local book club. In fact, almost anyone who needed or enjoyed good food, wine and conversation. In my mind’s eye those memories now appear like scenes from an old movie, distant yet familiar.

Pitting dates. Frying bacon. Poaching pears. Toasting crusty bread. Peeling apples. This week I have used cooking as reassurance, remedy, and distraction. These wonderfully meditative, comforting rituals have helped to restore my sense of usefulness.

When hopelessness threatens to overwhelm, familiarity offers a much needed escape. It is with relief that one discovers solace, perhaps even romance, during the completion of predictably mundane routines. These simple kitchen tasks provide a moment of reprieve; a space to think, pray or just simply nestle into the bosom of the warm humming kitchen. I find again and again that no matter how long I have been away, the kitchen always seems to welcome me home, seemingly beckoning for well-practiced routines of peeling, chopping and stirring to be resumed once more.

And so we return to the dates; little mouthfuls of joy. During the brief process of cooking the heat transforms the prosciutto wrapped dates into parcels of intensely gooey sweetness complemented by the umaminess of the brie and prosciutto, which crisps up beautifully. Not to be forgotten, the diminutive pinch of cinnamon adds a welcome and recognizably aromatic element. As canapes these dates titillate the tastebuds as if whispering secrets about what is yet to come; served on the cheeseboard near the end of your meal they encapsulate a culinary journey. You can choose to decorate however you wish, but I chose to drizzle a little vanilla honey and add a few specks of fragrant bee pollen. Absolutely delightful. Try them and report back.