Crostini Mediterranean With Honey-Thyme-Balsamic Syrup
Barbara Estabrook’s Crostini Mediterranean with Honey-Thyme-Balsamic Syrup entry in the Sue Bee® honey Sweet Eats Recipe Contest!
Ingredients
Honey-Thyme-Balsamic Syrup
- 1/4 cup Sue Bee® Honey
- 1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Toasts
- 2 teaspoons Sue Bee® honey
- 12 slices French bread, cut 1/3-inch thick from long loaf about 3 inches wide
- 1 (11-ounce) log goat cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 14 pitted Kalamata olives, drained from jar and quartered lengthwise
- 12 very thinly sliced whole dried figs, stems and ends removed (light brown-skinned such as Calimyrna dried figs preferred)
- 3 very thin slices prosciutto (from 3-ounce package), torn into irregular-sized ribbons
- 5 fresh baby kale leaves (no stems)
Directions
- For the syrup, in a heavy small saucepan, combine vinegar and Sue Bee® honey. Over medium-high heat bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat to medium; cook mixture, swirling pan occasionally and until mixture is syrup consistency and reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in thyme then pour syrup into a saucer; cool 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven broiler unit to high. Arrange bread slices on a large baking sheet and place about 4 inches from broiler heat. Brown on both sides until golden then remove from oven and transfer toasts to a wire rack.
- In a medium bowl combine goat cheese, 2 teaspoons Sue Bee® honey, lemon zest and pepper. Beat together using a hand electric mixer on low until well-blended.
- To assemble, spread about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture over each toast. Scatter olives and figs in equal portions over the cheese and top with prosciutto ribbons in equal portions. Drizzle syrup over each crostini. If syrup needs thinning, stir in a half teaspoon more honey.
- Tear small pieces of the feathery upper half of the baby kale leaves and scatter over each crostini. Serve immediately.
