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)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 263 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 32 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
- Sodium
- 495 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 15 mg
- Potassium
- 270 mg
- Calcium
- 121 mg
- Iron
- 1.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 10 mg
- Phosphorus
- 193 mg
- Zinc
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 48 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 4 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.09 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 9 mcg
- Water
- 54 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
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.
Storage
Troubleshooting
Bread burns during the initial toasting
Cause: Oven rack positioned too close to the broiler element or left unattended
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Lower the oven rack slightly and do not walk away while using the broiler setting
Cheese melts off the bread
Cause: Too much cheese applied, or broiled for too long during the second pass
Fix: Scoop melted cheese back onto the bread with a small spoon while still hot
Prevention: Keep the cheese centered on the bread and limit the final broiling time to 3 minutes max
Cultural Context
Crostini literally translates to little crusts in Italian. Combining seasonal sweet fruits with pungent, creamy cheeses is a classic Italian flavor profile that elegantly bridges the transition from late summer to the crisp beginnings of autumn.
