Description
Creamy whipped feta crostini delivers Mediterranean flavors with a zesty kick from hot honey. Crisp bread and tangy cheese create a perfect balance for elegant appetizers that guests will devour at first bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 200 g (7 oz) feta cheese, crumbled
- 100 g (½ cup) cream cheese, softened
- 1 baguette, sliced into ½-inch rounds
- 4 tbsps olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- fresh herbs (thyme or parsley)
- crushed pistachios or walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Crostini Preparation: Brush baguette slices with olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Roast in a preheated 375F (190C) oven, flipping midway, until edges turn golden and crisp, approximately 10-12 minutes.
- Feta Mixture Creation: Combine feta cheese, cream cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper in a food processor. Blend until achieving a silky, homogeneous texture with no visible cheese chunks.
- Spicy Honey Infusion: Simmer honey with red pepper flakes in a small saucepan, allowing the heat to permeate and develop a complex, tingling flavor profile through gentle stirring.
- Assembly and Garnishing: Generously spread whipped feta across toasted baguette slices, creating elegant peaks and swirls. Drizzle spicy honey in artistic zigzag patterns, then sprinkle fresh herbs and crushed nuts to introduce contrasting textures and aromatic complexity.
Notes
- Control Cheese Moisture: Use room temperature feta and cream cheese for smoother blending, preventing lumpy textures and ensuring silky consistency.
- Optimize Crostini Crunch: Toast baguette slices evenly by rotating baking sheet midway, watching carefully to prevent burning while achieving golden-brown edges.
- Balance Spicy Honey Heat: Adjust red pepper flakes quantity based on personal spice tolerance, starting with small amounts and incrementally increasing for desired warmth.
- Herb Selection Strategy: Choose fresh herbs like thyme or oregano that complement feta’s tangy profile, enhancing overall flavor complexity without overwhelming delicate cheese blend.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg