Date-Filled Cheese Pastries - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1/3 cup butter or 1/3 cup margarine, melted
24 pitted dates
24 pecan halves, toasted

Preparation

Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well. Add butter; stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened (dough will be crumbly).
Shape dough into ball.
Make a lengthwise slit into each date and stuff with a pecan half. press a generous tablespoon of cheese mixture around each date, covering it completely.
Cover and chill for 45 minutes (you can cover and freeze dates up to 1 month and thaw in the refrigerator before baking).
Place dates on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350\u00b0F for 25 minutes. Remove to wire rack and cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.