Equipment
Ingredients
Base
- 1 baguette, sliced 1.5cm thick
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
Toppings
- 120 g gorgonzola dolce, softened at room temperature
- 2 yellow peaches, pitted and cut into thin wedges
- 30 g honey
- 2 g fresh thyme leaves
- 1 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat the oven broiler to high. Position the oven rack in the upper third of the oven.
Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Lightly brush the tops with extra virgin olive oil.
Broil the bread for 1 to 2 minutes until the edges are golden and crispy. Watch closely to prevent burning.
Remove the toasted bread from the oven. Spread a generous layer of gorgonzola dolce onto each warm crostini.
Top the gorgonzola with two or three peach slices, overlapping them slightly.
Return the assembled crostini to the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes. Broil until the cheese is bubbling and the peaches are tender and slightly caramelized at the edges.
Remove from the oven. Drizzle the warm crostini evenly with honey, then scatter fresh thyme leaves over the top.
Finish with a crack of black pepper and serve immediately while the cheese is warm and gooey.
Chef's Notes
- Use Gorgonzola Dolce rather than Gorgonzola Piccante. The dolce variant is younger, creamier, and milder, making it easier to spread and allowing the delicate peach flavor to shine through.
- Freestone peaches are highly recommended for this recipe, as the flesh separates easily from the pit, allowing for beautiful, uniform slices.
- Do not skip the black pepper. The slight heat from the pepper balances the sweetness of the honey and peaches, elevating the appetizer from good to exceptional.
- Bringing the gorgonzola to room temperature 30 minutes before assembly will make spreading it over the delicate toasted bread much easier.
