Strawberry Brie Bruschetta with Almonds

When I was a little girl, my mother used to take my sister and I berry picking.

We’d fill whole baskets with wild strawberries, go home, and eat them out of bowls while watching movies.  If we had been “real good,” she’d treat us to toasted bread with butter, jam, and fresh strawberry slices.This bruschetta offers a somewhat grown up variation of one of my favorite childhood recipes complete with Brie and crusty bread.

Strawberry Brie Bruschetta

I suggest toasting your baguette here, but the bruschetta is equally as lovely when placed on uncooked baguette and warmed under the broiler.

 Ingredients:

*1 pint strawberries, stemmed and washed

*2 heaping tablespoons sugar

*1 teaspoon almond extract

*1 Brie wheel, rind removed

*1 baguette or other crusty bread, sliced

*3-4 tablespoons olive oil

*1/2 cup almonds, whole or sliced

1.) Prep ingredients: wash and stem strawberries and remove rind from Brie wheel.  Cut Brie and strawberries into slices and add to a bowl with almond extract and sugar.  Mix strawberries to combine and allow them to rest for at least 30 minutes so that they might macerate.  At 30 minutes, press down strawberries with a fork gently and stir to coat fruit in natural juices.

2.) In a non-stick skillet, warm enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan thinly (most likely 1-2 tablespoons, but you will need to continue adding more as you progressively toast more baguette slices).  Add slices of baguette and toast until golden brown and flip to toast other side.  Plate bread for dressing.

3.) Dress bread with slices of Brie and top with strawberries and almonds.

Serve and enjoy!Makes 10-12 servings.

–Helana Brigman