Tiny toasted baguette slices spread with creamy whipped ricotta cheese and topped with colourful lightly sweetened cranberries make a popular holiday appetizer.
12slicesbaguette,½ inch thick, cut on the diagonal, gluten-free if necessary
1tablespoonolive oilextra virgin, for brushing the baguette slices
Whipped Ricotta
1cupricotta cheese,whole milk
1.5tablespoonsolive oil,extra virgin
½teaspoonorange zestfinely grated
¼teaspoonsea salt
Cranberry Orange Topping
¾cupfresh cranberries,coarsely chopped
2tablespoonorange juice,or orange liqueur like Triple Sec
2tablespoonsweetener* see recipe notes below
fresh thyme leaves
1pinchflaky sea salt
Instructions
Heat oven to 375°F.
Use a sharp knife to slice the baguette into ½ inch thick slices. Cut slightly on the diagonal.Brush lightly with olive oil.
Space on a baking sheet and place in pre-heated oven. Bake for 7 - 8 minutes or until golden brown, flipping once halfway through. Crostini should be lightly browned, lightly toasted but still "springy" in the middle. Remove from oven.
Whipped Ricotta
In the bowl of a food processor, combine ricotta cheese with olive oil, orange zest and salt. Process until very smooth, about 1 - 2 minutes.
Cranberry-Orange Topping
Coarsely chop fresh (or frozen) raw cranberries and combine with orange juice and sweetener of your choice: honey, maple syrup or powdered zero-calorie sweetener like Monkfruit.
To assemble crostini, spread each toasted slice with a generous layer of whipped ricotta and top with a tablespoon of the cranberry mixture. Garnish with a few thyme leaves and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and serve immediately.
Notes
A note about sweetenersIf you're not on a special diet, you can sweeten the cranberries with sugar. You can also use a tablespoon or so of an orange liqueur, like Gran Marnier or Triple Sec.If you're following a vegan diet, you could use maple syrup.And if you're on a low-carb or keto diet, use a zero-calorie natural sweetener like Monkfruit with Erythritol or Swerve.In all cases, add a small amount of sweetener, taste, and then add more as needed. The amount you use will depend on how tart your cranberries are.