Crunchy Christmas Crostini Recipes

CROSTINI

Steps:

• Set the oven to broil at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a small saucepan, combine the olive oil, butter and garlic. Set over medium heat, and cook until butter has melted and the mixture starts to bubble. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
• Dip each slice of bread into the garlic mixture, turning to coat each side. Place Parmesan cheese on a plate. Press one side of each piece of bread into the cheese, and place cheese side up on a baking sheet.
• Broil on the middle rack of the preheated oven for about 8 minutes, or until golden brown.

CROSTINI - 8 DELICIOUS WAYS!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160°C / 320°F (all oven types).
• Brush bread with oil, sprinkle with salt, flip and repeat. Bake 5 minutes.
• Remove, then rub the surface lightly with garlic. Bake for a further 5 minutes until completely crispy, then remove and leave to cool fully before adding toppings.
• Place all ingredients except balsamic glaze in a bowl and gently toss. Taste and add more salt & pepper if desired. Spoon onto crostini, then drizzle with balsamic glaze. Done!
• Mix cream cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper. Spread on crostini, then fold salmon pieces on top. Top with 3 capers and sprig of dill each. Serve!
• Finely chop antipasto mix. Smear crostini with ricotta, pile on antipasto. Ready!
• Cook prawns: Toss prawns with 1 tbsp oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Preheat large skillet over high heat with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add half the prawns and sauté until just cooked. Remove, then repeat with remaining prawns.
• Cool, then chop into 0.75cm / 1/3" pieces and transfer to bowl. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, eschallots, coriander and lime. Toss, then add more salt and pepper to taste.
• Assemble: Smear crostini with avocado, then spoon on shrimp. Serve! No, wait - Eat one yourself, then serve. Because they'll be gone before you can even put the plate down, trust me! ????
• Spread crostini with goats cheese. Layer strawberry slices. Drizzle with honey just before serving and sprinkle with thyme leaves.
• Spread crostini with as much English Mustard as you dare(!), then cream cheese. Drape with a slice of beef, top with sprig of rocket.
• Mix chopped tapenade ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside for at least 30 minutes to let the flavours meld, then taste and add salt if required.
• Spread crostini with goats cheese. Pile on tapenade. Serve!
• Pea puree: Boil peas per packet directions until soft, then drain well. Transfer to small bowl with high sides. Add garlic, parmesan, olive oil, salt and pepper. Blitz with handheld blender stick until smooth. Stir through mint and lemon juice. Set aside to fully cool.
• Prawns: Peel then chop meat into 0.75 - 1 cm pieces.
• Assemble: Smear crostini with pea puree. Pile on prawn, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with parsley and chilli.

SIMPLE CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange baguette slices on two large rimmed baking sheets; brush both sides with oil, and season with salt and pepper.
• Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden, 15 to 20 minutes (if undersides are not browning, turn crostini over once during baking). Let cool on baking sheets. Top crostini with desired toppings, and serve.

CHRISTMAS CROSTINI

Steps:

• Slice baguette into 36 (1/4 to 1/2 inch) slices; place, cut side down, on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Combine cream cheese and next 3 ingredients; spread mixture evenly on bread slices.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Garnish, if desired, and serve immediately.

CRUNCHY CHRISTMAS CROSTINI

Steps:

• Up to a day ahead, heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Slice the ciabatta into about 25 thin slices. Lay them on a couple of baking trays and brush with the oil. Toast in the oven for 10 mins until they begin to go golden, checking after 5 mins as the trays may need turning.
• Up to an hour ahead, cut the stilton into slices a little smaller than the toasts (this is easier to do if the cheese is cold from the fridge), keep covered.
• Before serving, heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Spoon a little pile of beetroot onto the end of each piece of bread. Prop a slice of cheese up against each pile of beetroot and bake for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is starting to melt. You don't want it too melty - try to catch it just as it's starting to ooze over the edge.
• Top each cheesy canapé with a little sprig of celery leaves and serve immediately.

LUCKY NEW YEAR CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Separate the mini waffles into individual pieces and place on a sheet tray. Brush both sides with the melted butter. Toast in the oven, flipping halfway through, until crispy on the outside but still slightly soft on the inside, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Combine the mascarpone, honey, salt and orange zest in a medium bowl and mix until well blended. Spread the mixture on each toasted mini waffle with a butter knife or offset spatula. Garnish each with a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds, fresh mint and a drizzle of honey.

PERFECT CROSTINI

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 2. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil onto a large baking sheet.
• 3. Slice baguettes crosswise in 1/2-inch slices and lay slices in a single layer on baking sheet. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over slices. Sprinkle slices evenly with salt and bake until crispy and golden brown, approximately 20-25 minutes.

RICK'S BASIC CROSTINI

Steps:

• 1. On a cutting board, finely chop the garlic and sprinkle the salt over it. Keep chopping and smashing the garlic and salt together to make a paste. Use a wide-bladed knife so you can smear the paste along its flat side. You can also do this with a mortar and pestle.
• 2. In a small bowl, mix the butter, lemon juice, and garlic paste. Fold the softened butter over and onto the garlic mixture, mashing it down with the back of a spoon or spatula. Season to taste with pepper and continue folding.
• 3. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface. Scrape the butter onto the plastic and use the plastic wrap to shape butter into a log, encased in the plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use. If not using within 3 days, you can freeze the garlic butter for up to 2 months. Let the butter soften before using.
• 4. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• 5. Lay the bread on a baking sheet and brush both sides with garlic butter. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes, turning once, until golden brown but not too crispy. Let cool before using.
• Good Butter
• The difference between really good butter and all other butter lies with the butterfat content of the cream, which depends in large part on the cows and how the cream is handled before it is churned into butter. The best butter from Europe is made from raw or cultured cream and, particularly that made from raw cream, might not be imported to the United States. But never fear: At American companies such as the Vermont Butter & Cheese Company, the butter is made from high-grade cream (a high butterfat content) that is cultured and then churned. The butter is rich and flavorful and when it's salted, its salt content is significantly lower than typical salted butter. This is what I use in my crostini recipes, so depending on the salted butter you choose, you may not need to add any salt. As with all ingredients for these recipes, choose the best butter you can. It pays off in terms of taste.

THANKSGIVING CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Slice your baguettes into ½-inch slices and rub vegetable oil on both sides of the slice with a pastry brush. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until lightly golden.
• In a medium bowl, whip the PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese until fluffy and smooth. Add the cranberry sauce and dill, and mix well.
• Spread a tablespoon of cream cheese mixture evenly atop the crostini.
• Top with a turkey slice, avocado, and a provolone slice.