Festive Appetizers: Crostini's 3 Ways
I recently had the opportunity to teach a live virtual cooking demo, and it was SO much fun! For 1 hour I interacted with strangers in their home kitchens, answered questions, and we all cooked "together."
I thought crostini's would be a great holiday app because with endless flavor options, you are bound to have at least one that everyone enjoys. I went with a Classic Bruschetta, a Savory Marsala Mushroom, and a Sweet Ricotta Pear. The recipes below are for (4) of each flavor, so scale accordingly.
First....
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Slice (12) baguettes on the bias into 1/2 inch slices and place on a baking sheet
Spray with Olive Oil (both sides), sprinkle with Salt & Pepper (one side)
Set aside
We will prepare all of the toppings, and then assemble them all at the end
Classic Bruschetta:
Mixed color cherry tomatoes
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar Glaze
Garlic
Basil Plant
Shallot
Salt & Pepper
Baguette
1. Quarter (or even smaller), 1/4 of a container of mixed color cherry tomatoes
2. Mince (1) garlic clove
3. Mince 1/2 of a large shallot (or an entire small one)
4. Chiffonade (4) basil leaves
5. Mix above ingredients in a bowl
6. Add in (2) tsp olive oil
7. Salt & Pepper to taste
8. Mix and set aside
Grilled Pear & Ricotta
Pear
Full Fat Ricotta
Honey
Lemon Zest
Thyme
Avocado Oil or Coconut Oil
Baguette
1.In a small bowl add (4) tbsp ricotta cheese
2. Zest 1/2 lemon into the cheese
3. Add Salt & Pepper to taste
4. Mix and set aside
5. Cut (4) 1/4 inch slices of pear
6. Heat a small fry pan to medium-high heat, add coconut (or any high heat oil)
7. Sear pear slices on each side for approx. 30 second each (or until they develop color), remove from pan and set aside
Place your bread in the oven and set a timer for 5 minutes! We will keep and eye on these while we make the mushroom topping
Marsala Mushroom & Goat Cheese
Crimini or Baby Bella Mushrooms
Goat cheese
Marsala Cooking Wine
Olive Oil
Fresh Thyme
Shallot
Garlic
Butter
Salt & Pepper
Baguette
1. Slice (6-8) Mushrooms thinly
2. Slice (1) shallot thinly
3. Mince (1) clove garlic
4. Remove leaves from (4) sprigs of thyme and roughly chop
5. Sauté mushrooms and shallot in (1) Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Sauté until caramelized, roughly 5 minutes.
6. Add in Thyme, Garlic, and deglaze the pan with 1 oz of marsala cooking wine
7. Reduce to low heat and let the marsala cook off, approx. 1 minute
8. Remove from heat, stir in 1 tsp of butter
Remove the crostini's from the oven, they should be a nice golden brown with crunch but still some chew...and now we build!
For the bruschetta, spoon tomato mixture onto each and drizzle with balsamic glaze
For the Pear & Ricotta. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly onto each crostini, top with a slice of pear, and drizzle lightly with honey. If you have extra thyme leaves, sprinkle a few on each!
For the Marsala Mushroom, spread a layer of goat cheese on each crostini, and top with mushroom mixture.
I hope you enjoy these this holiday season as much as I have!