This recipe is simple, delicious, and it ensures that you won't have the rest of a whole cake or pie laying around tomorrow to temp you after your Valentine's Day dinner splurge. Chocolate Crostini go well later in the evening with a glass of that champagne you have left over from the Champagne Martini's you enjoyed earlier in the evening.
Chocolate Crostini
1/2 baguette, cut into 1/2 inch slices on the long diagonal
1 Tbsp. olive oil
6 oz. of good bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp. toasted pistachios
2 Tbsp. dried cherries
1/4 tsp sea salt
Stale bread works best for this recipe so let your baguette dry out for a day or two before making this dessert. You can substitute any nut and any fruit for the pistachios and cherries that I am suggesting here. Dried apricots and cashews are also a fantastic combination. But don't skip the sea salt because salt and dark chocolate are amazing together. Oh, and only top-shelf chocolate will do!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place bread slices on a baking sheet and lightly brush with olive oil. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the chocolate. Top with nuts and fruit and return to the oven until the chocolate is just melted, about 1 minute. Remove from the oven and sprinkle each crostini with sea salt. Get snuggled up on the sofa and serve immediately. Go ahead and finish off that bottle of champagne. Enjoy!
Happy Valentine's Day! XO, Lisa