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This cherry crostini recipe marries tart cherries and cheese in a pairing perfect for a spread of winter appetizers.
This post is sponsored by the Cherry Marketing Institute. All opinions are our own.
Show of hands: who celebrates Valentine’s Day? From a young age my family celebrated Valentine’s Day as a celebration of love of all kinds, especially the family and friend kind of love. My mom would surprise my sister and me with pink and red balloons, and my grandmother used to send me care packages full of Valentine’s Day decorations while I was in college. And honestly, in this world ridden with conflict and struggle and hate, who doesn’t need another day to celebrate love? Or another excuse for a special meal? (Or maybe it was simply invented for those of us in the Midwest to make it through the winter…) Whatever the case, these cherry and goat cheese crostini are the perfect winter appetizer for this holiday; keep reading for the recipe!
Related: Romantic Dinner Ideas
How to make cherry and goat cheese crostini
Alex and I love taking this time of year to dream up some special eats to eat with loved ones. This one is a super simple winter appetizer featuring a sweet and savory combo made in heaven: tart cherries and cheese. We took dried Montmorency cherries and cooked them down with a little balsamic vinegar to make a sweet-tart compote, then poured it over goat cheese crostini topped with a few slivers of fresh sage. It’s easy to prepare for guests or for a date night in, and works for occasions from Valentine’s Day to New Year’s Eve.
Related:Best Goat Cheese Recipes
A Valentine’s Day menu
This recipe part of a collaborative effort from some fantastic food bloggers around the web to make a Valentine’s Day meal starring cherries, which also doubles as an excuse to celebrate National Cherry Month. We love the challenge to incorporate a single ingredient throughout in every dish in a meal. Some friends of ours used to have a monthly ingredient-themed dinner party, and we love that idea as it’s the perfect excuse for creative cooking! This menu is full of inventive options, from cherry old fashioneds to cornish hens with cherries to cherry tarts. For the full recipes, check out this Perfectly Tart Dinner Menu. We’d love to hear if you celebrate Valentine’s Day and if you’re cooking up something fabulous?
- Tart Cherry Old Fashioned | Jelly Toast
- Tart Cherry Glazed Root Vegetables | Cookin’ Canuck
- Rosemary Roasted Cornish Hens with Pears and Tart Cherries | Love & Zest
- Tart Cherry Tartelettes | Love & Lemons
What are Montmorency tart cherries?
Montmorency tart cherries are mainly grown on small family orchards in the US and Canada, and are available year round dried, frozen, and as juice in grocery stores and online. We love them for their taste, but they’re also rich in nutrients, with health benefits ranging from inflammation and exercise recovery to sleep.
They’re a great snack since they can fulfill that sweet craving — you can eat them plain right out of the container (our favorite!) or pair with nuts or seeds, which makes for a fantastic combo of fiber and protein. Check out more details about Montmorency tart cherries and their nutritional benefits here. Or get more ideas cooking with cherries with our 12 Tasty Cherry Recipes.
This cherry crostini recipe is…
Vegetarian. For gluten free, serve on gluten free crackers.
Cherry Crostini
This cherry crostini pairs tart cherries and cheese in a pairing perfect for a spread of winter appetizers.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 14 to 16 bites 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 small baguette
- ½ cup dried Montmorency cherries
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 6 fresh sage leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the baguette, and place the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast 15 minutes until slightly browned and crisp.
- In a small saucepan, place ½ cup dried Montmorency cherries, ½ cup water, and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Bring to a strong simmer and simmer until the liquid is reduced by one half, about 7 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Thinly slice the sage leaves. To serve, spread goat cheese on top of the crostini; top with cherries and a bit of sage.
Looking for more winter appetizers?
This cherry and goat cheese crostini is perfect for a spread of winter appetizers, be it Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, or Valentine’s Day. Here are a few of our favorite winter appetizers:
I am obsessed with anything having to do with goat cheese, but these look extra good because of the cherries!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Goat cheese and balsamic cherries really do sound like a match made in heaven. I love snacking on dried cherries too but I like that I now have special way to use them!
I like to celebrate Valentine’s Day with an elegant meal at home and a bottle of wine. Celebrating love is great. Getting trapped in the holiday hoopla- not so great. I love the look of these cherry goat cheese bruschetta, and as another Midwesterner I love that you used dried cherries rather than calling for fresh.
These little bites sound awesome! And I love your menu. It sounds so fun!
I usually do celebrate Valentines day, and this is the first time in many years that I’ll be single for the occasion. So I’m practicing some self love, and cooking up some fabulous treats anyway- pulled pork enchiladas and chocolate babka :)