Move oven rack to upper third of oven and preheat oven to 500 °.
Pit dates by slicing one side with a paring knife. Set dates aside. Mix 3 tablespoons goat cheese with 2 teaspoons tarragon, 1/2 clove minced garlic, and 1/4 rounded teaspoon lemon pepper. Cut the bacon to fit the dates enough to overlap at the seam.
Open cut side of date slightly and stuff cavity with approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons of herbed goat cheese. Close date and wrap 1 piece of bacon around the width of each date overlapping about 1/2 and inch. Secure with toothpicks if desired.
Put dates on a parchment-lined baking sheet seam side down leaving some space between for even browning. Bake until bacon is golden and crisp, about 10 minutes (check and turn with tongs at 5 minutes).
Set aside to cool briefly.
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Notes
Recipe Tips:
Thick or thin, the bacon rules the baking time.
Plan a serving size of 2 dates per person for an appetizer, as they are quite rich.
Dates soften as they cook, so it is important to get the bacon crispy for the perfect texture balance.
Prep up to 2 days in advance; remove from refrigerator 20 minutes before baking.
Reheat leftovers under the broiler for 2 minutes or chop up and mix into savory homemade bread.
Variations:
Try different bacon types—with the rise of bacon fan culture you'll find products boasting of dry rubs and various woods for truly unique flavors. We love the Black Forest Bacon from Wellshire Farms for this appetizer and use their uncured corned beef in Reuben Sandwiches too.
Halve the dates and set them like boats for the cheese filling (double the cheese filling). Then wrap the bacon around the date boats, being careful to keep the seam on the bottom of the date so it can keep the cheese upright. Securing a toothpick on the bottom can help too. NOTE: This approach will take fewer dates and less bacon but will require more cheese.