Pear Crostini

I was left with a stale loaf of baguette as hard as a baseball bat. With a little research and a great recipe, I turned it into a delicious tea-time snack. This is what I did to refresh the stale bread.

Heat the oven to 275F. Mist the loaf with water and heat for 4 minutes. Mist again and bake for another 3 minutes. The bread is now crusty on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, ready for immediate use.

The recipe given below is adapted from Vegetarian Sandwiches by Paul Mitchell. Though the combination of ingredients sounded a little odd, I decided to follow it. Mainly because, every one of the recipe I have tried from this book is a hit. And so was this. The pear was sweet and soft, with a hint of maple syrup, and the parmesan cheese was a nice touch.

Ingredients

Baguette – 12 slices, 1/3 inch thick
Slightly ripened pear – 1, peeled, cored and sliced thin
Maple syrup – 2 tbsp
Cream cheese – ¼ cup
Parmesan cheese - 3 tbsp, grated

Method

Toss pear slices with maple syrup and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Preheat the broiler.

Generously spread cream cheese over baguette slices, and arrange on a baking sheet. Top baguette with sliced, marinated pear and grate parmesan cheese over the fruit. Broil the crostini 4 to 5 inches from the heat source for about 2 minutes. The pear slices will be tender and the cheese melted and browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Since I used stale bread, I did not toast the slices. If you are using fresh or soft bread, do toast it until golden brown, before assembling the crostini. This goes to Raaga at The Singing Chef, who is hosting AFAM – Pear.