Holiday Dessert Crostini

 

Holiday desserts can sometimes be a bit overwhelming when you are making lots of other dishes. That's why this is my trusted quick and easy dessert for family and friends. Also, these little toasts are just the thing for an afternoon holiday tea.

Most of us think of crostini as savory topped toasts, but this dessert twist is a delicious surprise for your guests. What could be easier than crostini topped with seasonal fruits and drizzled honey? Look for baguette-shaped bread and use a serrated knife to make clean slices. French bread or a seasonal fruit and nut bread both are excellent choices.

Persimmons are delicious once you know how to select the right variety for the right dish. For this dessert, we use the Fuyu persimmon, a beautiful bright orange fruit that is short and squat and can be eaten raw. They are naturally sweet when ripe, so make sure they are bright orange and have just a little give to them when touched. I like to serve them peeled and sliced in desserts like this one or as a wonderful color and flavor contrast in salads.

In these no-fail dessert crostini, a smear of mascarpone, a very soft, rich cheese that tastes a little bit like sour cream but is much denser in texture, coats the toast. The creamy cheese contributes a textural contrast to the crisp toast, sweet persimmon slices, tart pomegranate seeds and honey. These take just a few minutes to put together, so consider serving this when you are pressed for time. Serve a fruity after-dinner wine to complete the meal. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

Holiday Dessert Crostini with Persimmons, Pomegranate Seeds and Drizzled Honey

Serves 4 to 6.

12 1/2-inch slices French bread or fruit and nut bread

1/4 cup Mascarpone

2 Fuyu persimmons, peeled and sliced into 2-inch slices

1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds

1/4 cup fragrant honey like orange blossom, white truffle or lavender

Toast the bread slices. Arrange on a platter and smear about a teaspoon of Mascarpone on each bread slice. Arrange a few slices of persimmon on top and then sprinkle some pomegranate seeds on top. Then lightly drizzle the honey over the fruit.

A Variation:

Arrange a soft, creamy blue cheese, strong cheddar and a triple cream cheese in a basket. Have slices of toasted raisin nut bread around the cheese. Place a pot of your favorite honey variety in the basket. Let your guests make their own selection, and make sure to have them drizzle the honey over the cheese and bread.

 

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Holiday Dessert Crostini

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