A little sweet, salty, creamy goat cheese crostini with figs, pistachios, and basil…Ready in 15 minutes!
Growing up near the shores of the Mediterranean, I can’t say that I celebrated figs much as a child. I enjoyed them immensely, of course, but because they were quite available–at a lower cost–I never really missed them.
The story is different today. Now I await with anticipation the first signs of figs in the Atlanta markets. I am willing to pay more for the honeyed fruit, and I spend the short weeks of fig season feasting on their fleshy goodness.
I do get my fix with dried figs year-round, tossing them into chicken spinach salad or braising them with chicken thighs, there’s nothing quite like a fresh ripe sweet fig. Admittedly, they do not require much dressing up. They make a great snack on their own, wrapped with prosciutto, or as part of a Mediterranean mezze platter like this one. But in the presence of goat cheese, goat cheese crostini with fresh figs seemed like an obvious appetizer choice.
I decided to lightly whip the goat cheese up with crushed pistachios and walnuts for texture, and torn basil leaves for a subtle fresh and peppery flavor. A hint of molasses highlights the sweetness of the fresh figs here; you can use honey instead if you like. Toasted French baguette slices work best for bruschetta and crostini. They make the perfect bite-sized carrier, or you can use larger pieces of toast to make more of a tartine version of these goat cheese crostini.
Here is the step by step for today’s easy goat cheese crostini
(Scroll down for ingredients and print-friendly recipe)
Preheat the broiler on high and adjust the rack to 6 inches below the element.
Brush the baguette slices with olive oil on both sides. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Broil briefly until the top is golden brown and toasted (about 2-3 minutes). Watch the bread slices carefully in the oven (I burned the first batch of bread!) Remove from the oven, but keep the broiler on for later.
In a bowl, combine the goat cheese, crushed pistachios and walnuts, molasses, basil leaves, salt and pepper. Mix well with a spoon until the goat cheese mixture is well combined.
Spread a generous amount of the goat cheese mixture on top of each toasted baguette slice, then top each with a slice of fig.
Return the crostini to the oven. Broil for another 3-4 minutes until the goat cheese has melted and browned around the edges. The figs will soften some more and gain a little color. Remove from the oven and turn the broiler off.
When cool enough to handle, transfer the goat cheese crostini to a serving platter. Drizzle with more molasses and garnish with more fresh basil, if you like. Enjoy!
Fig Pistachio Goat Cheese Crostini
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: serves 10 1x
Description
A little sweet, salty, creamy goat cheese crostini with figs, pistachios, and basil…Ready in 15 minutes!
Ingredients
- 10 slices baguette
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 6 oz goat cheese at room temperature
- 1/4 cup shelled pistachios, crushed
- 1/4 cup walnut hearts, crushed
- 2 tbsp molasses, more for later
- 20 basil leaves, torn, more for garnish
- pinch salt and pepper
- 5 ripe mission figs, halved
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler on high and adjust the rack to 6 inches below the element.
- Brush the baguette slices with olive oil on both sides. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Broil briefly until the top is golden brown and toasted (about 2-3 minutes). Remove from the oven, but keep the broiler on for later.
- In a bowl, combine the goat cheese, crushed pistachios and walnuts, molasses, basil leaves, salt and pepper. Mix well with a spoon until the goat cheese mixture is well combined.
- Spread a generous amount of the goat cheese mixture on top of each toasted baguette slice, then top each with a slice of fig.
- When cool enough to handle, transfer the goat cheese crostini to a serving platter. Drizzle with molasses and garnish with more fresh basil, if you like. Enjoy warm or at room temperature!
- Return the crostini to the oven. Broil for another 3-4 minutes until the goat cheese has melted and browned around the edges. The figs will soften some more and gain a little color. Remove from the oven and turn the broiler off.
Notes
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
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What could you replace with the molasses with and still get the same effect?
Thanks
You can use a quality honey instead, Catherine.
You are a culinary Goddess!!!