Port Infused Fig Blue Cheese Crostini | Friday Night Bites

I am obsessed with Crostinis! They are like a blank canvass begging to be painted on.  A great crostini can be your own "Mona Lisa".  Okay, I might be a bit dramatic, but you are picking up what I am putting down.  Smile.

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The flavor combinations are endless. You can get creative or stay simple.  You can brush with olive oil or simply toast them.  The secret to a great crostini is the bread.  I am in love with Semifreddi, ACME and Labrea Baking.  There is nothing better than fresh baked bread with a crunchy outside and delicious chewy inside that is rich with flavor.

With my other obsession, Fig Jam, I knew that I needed to create a fig inspired masterpiece.  In the fall, I canned about 60 half pints of Balsamic Fig Jam, so that I could enjoy it year round and give away as gifts.  Since fresh figs are unfortunately not in season right now, the next best thing is the dried version.  Luckily for me, they are available at Trader Joes year round in the dried variety.  To "plump" them up I cooked them in some port wine.  The port reduces and becomes sweet along with infusing in the dried figs.  The result is pure dedadence.  Would love to hear about your "crostini masterpiece" !!

Port Infused Fig Blue Cheese Crostini

Baguette

Point Reyes Blue Cheese

Dried Figs. sliced in half and remove stem

Port

Fig Jam (Homemade or Store Bought)

Walnuts, toasted

This is a very easy and loose recipe.  Slice the baguette to the desired number of crostinis and brush with olive oil.  Toast in the oven under the broiler until light brown on each side.  Let cool.

In a small sauce pan, add the desired amount of dried figs, use one to two halves per crostini.  Pour enough port to almost cover the figs.  About 1/2 cup for 20 figs.  Cook on medium until almost all of the port has infused the figs.  Let cool.

To assemble, spread blue cheese onto the crostini then a bit of fig jam.  Next place one to two of the port infused figs and adorn with a few toasted walnuts.  Enjoy.