CROSTINI WITH WHIPPED GOAT CHEESE AND QUICK BLACKBERRY JAM
by Meaghan Dawson from BeautyfromburntToast
If you are anything like me, December leaves me with an attitude that’s a little less “peace on earth and goodwill to men” and a little more Ebenezer Scrooge (or at the very least, Clark Griswold) until the final present is opened and the last bite of Christmas dessert is consumed. It’s not that I don’t love the holidays, they are truly my favorite time of the year. But no matter how much I tell myself I’m going to be chill and take it easy so I can actually enjoy the season without losing my ever-loving mind, I never manage to actually be chill and take it easy.
Instead, I spend most of the month with a to-do list the length of a small skyscraper, wrapping paper up to my kneecaps, and a kitchen overrun with peppermint sticks, hot chocolate packages, marshmallows, and a mysteriously sticky floor.
All of this is to say–the holidays are busy. We know we’re supposed to slow down and savor the season, but somehow when the month of December rolls around each year we forget this little mantra and go full-speed ahead until December 26th. The truth is that most of us, as the female members of the family, carry the weight of the holidays on our shoulders. We shouldn’t. We know this. We should delegate or involve our own real-life Mr. Clauses in the planning and execution of all of the Christmas magic. But we often don’t. And that often leaves us worn-down, tired-out, and more than a little Grinch-like by Christmas Eve.
Or maybe that’s just me.
But, given that I am the Queen of making things easy on myself, at least in the kitchen. I decided to create this simple appetizer to take at least some of the pressure off when I’m entertaining. A tad bit deceiving, these Bite-Sized Crostini look like they took a very long time and a lot of effort. But of course, they didn’t, just no one has to know that part. It’ll be our little GYPO secret.
Like all of my recipes, this is one you can play with. I call for a quick spin with the mixer for the goat cheese, but if you’re feeling lazy, just mash it up a bit with a fork. I realize that I am having a make your own jam moment (see my raspberry version here) but if you’re feeling extra lazy (which, hey, it’s the holidays and you’ve done enough already, so be lazy if you wanna. It’s totally fine), just use good quality jarred jam. It will probably be just as good, especially if it’s from a farmers’ market.
Play with your food. Make it your own. This isn’t just my recipe; if you make it, it’s yours too, so make it fun!
CROSTINI WITH WHIPPED GOAT CHEESE AND QUICK BLACKBERRY JAM
Ingredients
- 1/2 loaf crusty French bread (alternatively, if you can find pre-sliced crostini, AWESOME)
- 8 ounces blackberries Easily sub in store bought jam for blackberries. It will taste just as good!
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- 10 ounces goat cheese If you have an ALDI try their cranberry-coated goat cheese – it is life-changing!
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Preheat broiler
- Slice bread in thin (1/2 inch) slices on the diagonal (skip if you have pre-sliced).
- Brush lightly with olive oil.
- Broil for 3 minutes or until lightly toasted.
- Meanwhile, in a small heavy bottom saucepan, combine blackberries and syrup. Cook on low heat, mashing and stirring until a jam-like consistency is formed. If using store bough jam, heat up slightly.
- Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whip (or mash) the goat cheese and salt together.
- To assemble:
- Top each crostini with a spoonful of goat cheese and then jam.
- Right before serving, drizzly with honey and top with mint.
- Enjoy!
About Meaghan
Meaghan is a wife, mom of three, dog lover, coffee freak, and book nerd. When she’s not wrangling her family and driving them around town in her Mom Taxi, she is a writer, blogger, and recipe creator over at BeautyfromBurntToast. Her biggest passion is helping people feel confident in the kitchen by making cooking accessible with quick and easy recipes that the whole family will love. In a roundabout way, this makes her a wanna be GYPO for the kitchen and explains why she loves the outfit formulas so much. They’re easy and accessible and make life better for everyone.
