Soak 12 toothpicks in water for about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix all the ingredients for the dip together until smooth; refrigerate dip. Remove the pit from each date by slitting the date open on one side and opening it like a book. Replace the pit with a piece of chorizo sausage. Wrap the date back around the meat to encase it as fully as possible. Wrap each stuffed date with a strip of bacon and secure it with a toothpick. Place dates on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the bacon has become somewhat crisp and cooked through. (*Note: Alternatively, you can dredge the dates in egg wash and cornmeal, and pan fry them on the stove top. However, they will be somewhat greasier.)

Remove dates from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before removing the toothpicks and serving with dipping sauce. Yield: 2-4 servings