The first time my brother-in-law offered to cook for us, I pasted a smile on my face and stifled an urge to run for the hills. At the time, he was a bachelor and used to feeding himself basic meals that could go from microwave to plate as quickly as possible (yeah, that meant a lot – I mean A LOT – of frozen burritos). So, when he whipped up an appetizer that involved a wheel of Brie cheese and strawberries cooked inside a crusty, golden brown layer of pastry, I was eating my words…and then several helpings of that gooey, melty dish. Okay, I may have seated myself beside the plate and chowed down until there was not a single morsel to be found.
I blamed it on the kids.
That blissful first meeting with the Brie and strawberries led to a bit of an obsession. My dreams filled with spinning wheels of Brie and dancing strawberries (okay, that’s a little weird…true, but weird) that ultimately culminated in one of my favorite desserts, Brie Cheese & Strawberry Puff Pastry “Ravioli” with Chocolate Sauce.
The thing that dreams are made of.
My infatuation hasn’t waned and I find myself, yet again, pairing together the sweet, fragrant fruit with slices of warm, melted cheese. This time it’s in the form of crostini and topped with a light drizzle of honey and thin slices of fresh basil. The first time i made this, I wasn’t sure what to expect. With the first bite, my teeth sunk slowly through the strawberries and soft cheese until they met with the slightly crunchy bread. The flavors are sweet and savory, herbaceous and floral…and utterly delightful.
I’m not sure whether to call this an appetizer or a dessert because, really, it could go either way. Whether you choose to serve it at the beginning or the end of the meal, I guarantee that it will be a hit. And watch out because you, too, may become bitten by the strawberry-Brie bug.
The recipe:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lay the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Top each piece of baguette with a slice of Brie cheese.
Bake in oven until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted, 5 to 6 minutes.
Top each with 2 slices of strawberry, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of honey and a few slices of basil. Serve.
Other crostini with fruit:
Foodiecrush’s Peach & Tomato Bruschetta
Two Peas and Their Pod’s Roasted Grape, Blue Cheese & Honey Crostini
Running to the Kitchen’s Blueberry Ginger Jam & Goat Cheese Crostini
Crostini with Brie Cheese, Strawberries, Honey & Basil Recipe
From the kitchen of Cookin Canuck. www.cookincanuck.com
Ingredients
- 12 thin slices French baguette (sliced on diagonal)
- 4 oz. Brie cheese, cut into 12 slices
- 6 medium strawberries, sliced
- 1 to 2 tbsp honey or agave nectar
- 4 fresh basil leave, thinly sliced
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lay the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Top each piece of baguette with a slice of Brie cheese.
- Bake in oven until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Top each with 2 slices of strawberry, ½ to ½ teaspoon of honey and a few slices of basil. Serve.
Kristen says
I think you should just call it brilliant – it looks so delicious, Dara! Love the simplicity of it.
Meeta says
I’ll take this at any time of the day Dara! We’ve been enjoying light snacks like this a lot – cheese, honey and fruit. Cannot get better than this! Perfect with a chilled chardonnay!
Maria says
I think it would make a great breakfast too:)
Julia {The Roasted Root} says
Creamy, sweet and crunchy, what a great little appetizer! The honey/agave on top sounds delicious. This crostini is beautiful and simple to make – definitely perfect use for fresh ripe strawberries!
Belinda @zomppa says
What a fantastic combination!! This is my kind of meal!
Jill says
This looks delicious! I have everything for this, so you know what’s for lunch today!
Laurie @SimplyScratch says
I could literally eat these beauts all day long!
Gerry @ Foodness Gracious says
I totally know how good this would taste! I’ve tried the frozen burritos before but 2 minutes after they are done they’re always rock hard?? I learned my lesson and with so many awesome Mexican eats here in CA frozen burritos are no longer 🙂
Stephanie says
Totally putting this on my list of possible appetizers/snacks to make for company! Thanks.
Jen @ Jen's Favorite Cookies says
Is there anything that doesn’t go with Brie? I think not. Brie is heavenly!
Kari@Loaves and Dishes says
Your absolutely right, I could have this for and appetizer or dessert, or paired with a salad for lunch.
Cathy @ Noble Pig says
Wow, I love and funny story. But what is that cool cutting ool you are using? Is it for ravioli? I want it!
Barbara | Creative Culinary says
Brie was born to be paired with fruit…add the crunch of pastry or in this case some bruschetta…ahh, umm, good!
Don’t let their cousins raspberries go unused though…equally as fabulous in similar applications. Doggone it Dara…now seriously craving an appetizer for lunch!
Nancy@acommunaltable says
I could honestly make a meal of this… and I can completely relate to your obsession!! Definitely the perfect “snack” for summer because you could eat this at ANY time of day!!!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
This is such a perfect appetizer! I make a similar thing with goats cheese, but I really need to try brie next time!
marla says
I love strawberries with brie ~ a lovely appetizer that is simple + yet so elegant. Glad to hear your brother in law was such a success!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I love this, strawberries are perfect with brie! Beautiful photos!
Cakewhiz says
Anything with strawberries literally calls my name! Lol. Not only do these crostinis look beautiful, i bet they taste awesome!!!
Aubrey @ Homegrown & Healthy says
Brie and strawberries + walnuts is my favorite, sometimes I even drizzle a tiny bit of maple syrup on top. I’ve never added basil before but can’t wait to try this!
carrian says
I was sold just when you said strawberries, but it got even better! Love it!
Minnie(@thelady8home) says
Fantastic snack!!!! I can have this anytime. Its looking so YUMMY!!! 😀
Emily @ Life on Food says
This just made my day. They look fantastic. I love brie and I love even more that you can pair it was so many flavors and it only gets better. Your crostini is a new combination for me but I am certainly going to check it out soon.
RavieNomNoms says
Love it! Such a winning combination!
A Canadian Foodie says
Simple is always best.
🙂
V
claire @ the realistic nutritionist says
This is just gorgeous!!!!! Is there any better combo that strawberry and brie?
Donna says
Proving once again that simple is best!
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective says
Hey sweet friend, These look like the perfect little bites to go with Prosecco!
Jen @ Savory Simple says
How delicious!
Viviane Bauquet Farre says
A very playful and elegant implementation of strawberries! The sweetness must go so well with the brie cheese! Very clever and quite delicious.
Carolyn says
Mmmmm, I wouldn’t be able to eat the bread but I’d happily eat the topping right off of all of those!
JulieD says
Oh man, this looks so good, I love pairing fruit with brie…you just took it to a whole new level!
Annabelle says
What would you substitute for basil? Or should I just eliminate it completely?
Can’t wait to do these. Yumm
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Annabelle, there isn’t a great substitute for fresh basil, so I would just leave it out. They’ll still be good!
DEANNA says
Amazing! Amazing ! Recipe
Judy says
This looks and sounds so delicious, I plan on serving as an appetizer at a dinner party for 12 in two weeks. I think I’ll try drizzling a little balsamic syrup over the strawberries instead of the honey, as balsamic goes so well with strawberries. Thanks for the recipe!
Kate says
I love brie, but I want to make these for a baby shower, and mama-to-be has been advised not to eat any soft cheeses. Is there any other that I could substitute?
Cheri says
These look great! Think I’ll try them with a special balsamic (in place of the honey) I brought back from Italy. YUM!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
That sounds great, Cheri!
kim says
Are these good eaten cooled, or only good when they are warm? How far in advance can they be made and still be good?
Sara says
Made these for an “eclectic tea party” a few months ago and everyone raved over how beautiful they looked and how addictive they tasted! Thanks for the recipe!
Dara says
I love the idea of an “eclectic tea party”! I’m so glad that everyone enjoyed the crostini.
Casey says
Question! If using pre-made crostini’s, how long would you say to bake them? Two minutes or so until the brie is melted? Thank you!
Dara says
Hi Casey, I haven’t tried this with pre-made crostini, but I’d be worried that they’d be burnt or too crispy by the time the Brie is melted.