Heat oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Lay the bacon strips on the baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes, or until the bacon is about halfway cooked. It needs to be flexible enough to wrap around the dates.

Use a paring knife to make a shallow cut on the top of each date but be careful not to cut the date all the way through. Remove the pits and fill the date with a spoonful of cheese. Squeeze the date gently so that it is mostly closed. 

Remove the bacon and cool enough to handle it. 

Slice the bacon strips in half so that you have 20 pieces. 

Wrap a strip of bacon around each date and secure with a toothpick. 

Replace the used parchment paper on the baking sheet with a new piece. Arrange the dates on the baking sheet and season with black pepper.

Bake for 5-7 minutes and flip the dates, baking for another 5-7 minutes or until the bacon is cooked through and slightly crispy. 

Transfer to a wire cooling rack and sprinkle with salt.