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, ¼ to ½ teaspoon of honey and a few slices of basil. Serve.
Printable Recipe
Crostini with Brie Cheese, Strawberries, Honey & Basil Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 thin slices French baguette sliced on diagonal
- 4 ounces Brie cheese cut into 12 slices
- 6 medium strawberries sliced
- 1-2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
- 4 fresh basil leave thinly sliced
Instructions
- 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.
Nutrition
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Carolyn
Mmmmm, I wouldn't be able to eat the bread but I'd happily eat the topping right off of all of those!
Viviane Bauquet Farre
A very playful and elegant implementation of strawberries! The sweetness must go so well with the brie cheese! Very clever and quite delicious.
Jen @ Savory Simple
How delicious!
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective
Hey sweet friend, These look like the perfect little bites to go with Prosecco!
Donna
Proving once again that simple is best!
claire @ the realistic nutritionist
This is just gorgeous!!!!! Is there any better combo that strawberry and brie?
A Canadian Foodie
Simple is always best.
🙂
V
RavieNomNoms
Love it! Such a winning combination!
Emily @ Life on Food
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.
Minnie(@thelady8home)
Fantastic snack!!!! I can have this anytime. Its looking so YUMMY!!! 😀