Crostini are a go-to appetizer for me. They’re essentially mini toasts topped with cheese and other toppings, and who doesn’t love bread and cheese and toppings? This version uses persimmon– a mild fall fruit that looks like a cute little orange tomato. They’re sweet and juicy, but not overpowering, so they play well with savory flavors. Tangy goat cheese and a cinnamon-sugar walnut crumble round out these perfect salty-sweet snacks. Strongly suggest enjoying with champagne. Cheers!
Makes about 40 crostini.
Ingredients
- 1 baguette, sliced into ½ inch rounds
- 4 persimmons, peeled, cored & thinly sliced
- 10 ounces goat cheese at room temperature
- 5 ounces nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the broiler to 500°F.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the goat cheese and yogurt. Mix well and set aside.
In a sauté pan, toast the walnuts over medium heat until fragrant, about three-five minutes. Add a tablespoon of butter, the light brown sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Stir until the sugar has melted and the nuts are evenly coated. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Lightly coat one side of each crostini with the remaining butter – you don’t need much here. Arrange on a large baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Toast under the broiler until light golden brown, about three minutes for the first buttery side and one minute for the second plain one.
To assemble, spread a layer of the goat cheese mixture onto the buttery side of each crostini. Top with a couple of slices of persimmon. Arrange on a serving platter (like these round olive wood platters) and then sprinkle with the walnut crumble. Serve immediately.
