This Dessert Crostini recipe is made with fresh fruit and chocolate. Toasted buttery bread spread with semi-sweet chocolate and topped with fruit, freshly whipped heavy cream with vanilla bean paste, and aromatic herbs.
Remove the skins from kiwis and slice. Cut an X into the slices creating little triangles. Divide the crostinis to make half with cherries and the other half with kiwis. Place 2 kiwi triangles or 1 cherry on each crostini. In a stand mixer pour in heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste. Mix on high until cream forms firm peaks.
Fill a pastry bag with icing tip with the whipped cream. Pipe cream next to the fruit. Garnish with fresh mint for the cherry crostinis and lemon thyme for the kiwi crostinis.
Hazelnut spread instead of melting chocolate.
Use different fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries.
Make dessert Crostini to celebrate baby showers, bridal showers, as a companion for wine and dessert evenings or for general entertaining.
These need to be made and consumed. They are not made to save or make ahead of time. Under all that butter and chocolate the toasty crunch of the bread will disappear if you make these ahead of time.
1 loaf of French Bread
4 oz. semi sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1/4 cup powdered sugar
3 kiwis
15 - 20 cherries
Fresh mint and lemon thyme leaves for garnish
Cut French loaf into equal slices and lay them flat on baking sheets. Spread a light layer of butter on the tops of the bread. Broil on low for 4 to 5 minutes until the bread is lightly toasted. Remove from oven and let cool.
Place chopped chocolate into a microwave safe bowl and heat in 20 second intervals stirring in between until chocolate is melted. Put half a spoonful of chocolate on top of the toasted bread and spread evenly on the toast with the back of the spoon.