Maple Pear Crostini: A Quick and Easy Taste of Fall

My mom says when she was a girl, she could eat a loaf of Italian bread in one sitting. This, beyond her sense of humor and strong will, is how I know we’re family.

It’s not at all uncommon, when driving home from Dominick’s with bread I’ve purchased, for me to tear off a chunk with my hands and bite right in, crumbs falling on my lap and the steering wheel.

Taken out of the oven, with steam slowly escaping, Italian bread cracks along the top and smells like a bakery in the morning, heady with yeast and sweetness.

The golden crust reveals an interior pillow of downy softness and air holes, the foundation of roast beef sandwiches, toast with butter and jam, stuffing, or even a snack of Nutella in the afternoon.

Also, Italian bread is the foundation of crostini, which is essentially toasted slices baked with toppings, be they prosciutto with cheese or figs with honey.

For myself, I prefer olive oil and seasonings, cooked until the oil sizzles and the toast crunches. If I’m feeling a little wild, I might rub garlic into the slices before baking.

Lately though, I’ve been challenging my food stereotypes. Spinach can be quiche. I can cook a turkey. Sushi might be worth a try.

So when I contemplated using up the last of some bread this week, it had to be a matter of creativity and invention.

There were s’mores crostini (topped with Nutella, then marshmallows – too sweet, and easily burned), bittersweet chocolate crostini (bleh, needed something more) and apple cinnamon crostini (which I never did get around to).

The winning recipe seemed as odd of a combination as the sandwich I constructed at my work desk a few days ago, a Pepperidge Farm double-chocolate cookie hugged by two saltines – which, if you’re asking, was quite good, in fact.

These crostini are topped by sliced pears marinated with maple syrup (of all things!) and then kissed by crumbled Parmesan cheese. They’re subtle in their sweetness, enough that you’ll eat a few before realizing what’s happened.

Indeed, in the course of making six or so, I ate them all.

Every. Single. One.

I think there might be half a slice waiting for me in the fridge, but not for my lack of wanting it immediately. Rather, after trying several other slices (namely, a few burnt s’mores), my waistline about to burst, I just couldn’t fit anything else in.

Lovely as a finger food appetizer or tasty snack, these little toasts even make a delightful meal, particularly when you eat enough of them and, ahem, you will.

Quick note: Christmas is coming! So are more cookies, I promise. The many, many I have baked already are viewable here, and you won’t go wrong with any of them.

Although, if I had to pick, I might say the rosemary and the chocolate chip… Okay, also the goofy cowboy ones could be called favorites. Still, my favorite, favorite recipes are yet to come, so stay tuned!.

The Recipe

Maple Pear Crostini

Votes: 2 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe!

Print Recipe

Looking for a quick and easy breakfast or brunch that has all the flavor of autumn? If so, be sure to check out this super yummy maple pear crostini recipe.

Servings	Prep Time
6 slices	10 minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
12 minutes	12 minutes

Servings Prep Time 6 slices 10 minutes

Cook Time Passive Time 12 minutes 12 minutes

Maple Pear Crostini Votes: 2 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Looking for a quick and easy breakfast or brunch that has all the flavor of autumn? If so, be sure to check out this super yummy maple pear crostini recipe. Servings Prep Time 6 slices 10 minutes Cook Time Passive Time 12 minutes 12 minutes Servings Prep Time 6 slices 10 minutes Cook Time Passive Time 12 minutes 12 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 slices Italian bread
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 pears slightly ripened, sliced thin
• 2/3 cup maple syrup (approximate)
• 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese (as needed)

Servings: slices

Units:MetricUS Imperial

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place bread slices on a greased cookie sheet or one lined with a Silpat, and butter each slice.
2. Once oven is heated, put slices in and toast them for about 12 minutes.
3. In a small dish, toss pear slices with maple syrup and let soak for a while, maybe 10 minutes or so.
4. Remove bread from the oven and lay pear slices on top. Crumble a bit of Parmesan cheese over that.
5. Broil these in the oven for about 10 minutes. The pear will be tender and soft, and the cheese will have browned.

Nutritional Info*

Wash your fruit thoroughly. Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut thin slices from each pear.

When you get towards the center, you can remove the core and stem area at the bottom of the fruit with a paring knife or the tip of your chef’s knife.

Lay out all of your prepared ingredients, so your mise en place is ready to go.

Step 2 – Toast the Bread

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place bread slices on a buttered cookie sheet or one lined with a Silpat. Toast the bread for 10 to 15 minutes.

Or, feel free to use a premium toaster oven to get the same effect in three or four minutes.

Step 3 – Add the Syrup

Place the pears to a small bowl and slowly add the maple syrup, ensuring full coverage. Let soak for around 10 minutes.

Step 4 – Cheese It Up

Place the toast on a buttered cookie sheet, or one lined with a Silpat or another type of silicone liner.

Layer three to four slices of pear onto each bread slice. Drizzle on any remaining maple syrup from the bowl and then sprinkle on a generous amount of Parmesan cheese.

Step 5 – Broil

Broil for in the oven for 10 minutes or so, until you see the cheese start to turn a nice crusty brown in spots. Your pear slices will soften and the syrup will infuse itself into the rest of the ingredients.

As a finishing touch (purely optional), microwave two tablespoons of salted butter and lightly drizzle over the top.

Plate and serve warm or room temperature and watch the smiles appear around the table. An easy-peasy lazy weekend breakfast or brunch whipped up in no time at all.

What about you? Do you have any scrumptious crostini topping suggestions? Let’s hear them in the comments below! Or try some of our other favorite variations:

• Olive, Red Pepper, & Goat Cheese
• Tangy Roasted Tomato
• Peach Basil
• Broccoli Rabe and Pecorino
• Herb-Roasted Carrot

About Shanna Mallon

Shanna Mallon is a freelance writer who holds an MA in writing from DePaul University. Her work has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The Kitchn, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, Houzz.com, Foodista, Entrepreneur, and Ragan PR. In 2014, she co-authored The Einkorn Cookbook with her husband, Tim. Today, you can find her digging into food topics and celebrating the everyday grace of eating on her blog, Go Eat Your Bread with Joy. Shanna lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with Tim and their two small kids.

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