Ricotta and Date Stuffed Bacon Bowls

I wanted to make ricotta stuffed dates wrapped in bacon but I couldn't find whole dates at the grocery store, so I came up with this alternative.  I think I might even like it more than the original!  They are adorable and delicious!

The ingredients I used are as follows:
-one bag of chopped dates
-one container of ricotta cheese (I think it was 15 oz)
-bacon (I ended up making almost 3 dozen of these things and you need one piece of bacon for each one)
-honey
-salt

To make the bacon cups, I used this instructable but with some slight variations.  I used thick cut bacon and put some silicone baking cups into the cupcake tray.  This made it much easier to clean the tray and save the bacon fat for later uses like making suet or bacon candles.  Just don't pour it down your sink!
I used thick cut bacon so the baking time was much longer than the instructable that I followed recommended, but that gave me plenty of time to make the filling while the bacon cups were in the oven!  I found that cutting a piece of bacon in half, using one half to go across the middle of the cupcake tin and then cutting the other half in half and using those pieces for the sides worked really well.
When the bacon cups were crispy enough, I took them out of the oven and used tongs to put them upside down on some paper towels to let the fat drain off them.

To make the filling, I poured the entire bag of chopped dates and the entire container of ricotta into a mixing bowl and mixed them together with a spatula.  I also added a few pinches of salt to bring out the flavors more.

Once the bacon cups have cooled enough, add about a tablespoon of the ricotta and date filling to each cup.  You can add less or more depending on your taste and how many you want to make.

I finished each one off with a drizzle of honey and shared them with my friends and I suggest you do that same!  Or you can eat them all yourself!