Breakfast Crostini: Mixed Berry Toasts

Fun, colourful, ultra quick to assemble and virtually healthy. These Mixed Berry Toasts are the answer to your breakfast woes. 

Ok, time to be honest. Although I’m going to be talking about these gorgeous Mixed Berry Toasts today, what I really want to be talking about involves alcohol.

I have had a stinker of a day – I burst a central heating pipe putting up a picture frame. It caused a massive leak and significant damage to my hallway wall. What can I say? Sometimes I amaze myself at my own prowess. So I’m hoping you’ll empathise with me when I confess that what I really want to be talking about (and drinking) right now is a good strong cocktail.

But on the menu for today are these light, fresh and oh so pretty Mixed Berry Toasts. I’ve been eager to share these with you for a number of weeks. Here on LittleSugarSnaps I’ve been on a bit of an indulgence spree for most of the year to date. You may have noticed. So I recently made a deal with myself to share a few healthier recipes before summer and ice-cream season comes around. For this reason, despite my soggy event today, I’m sticking to the plan. I’m not going to break rank – that cocktail can sit on ice for a week or two longer.

Let’s talk about breakfast.

I’m really not a person who enjoys a typical English Breakfast – I’m talking about the Fry-Up. I may like various components individually, but a big plateful of hot, savoury, salty food first thing in the morning really doesn’t get me all that excited. And then there’s the cooking that’s involved. Not to mention the lingering stench of tomato ketchup. It’s not a place I like to visit often.

When it comes to breakfast I much prefer an abundance of fruit. If I feel like splurging, my weekend breakfast of choice would be pancakes or waffles with a stack of ripe & rosy strawberries, fruit sauce and a neat pile of whipped cream. If I’m feeling ultra healthy, I opt for Greek yoghurt, plenty of berries, a light sprinkling of homemade granola and maybe a drizzle of maple syrup. Life, my friends, sounds just like a dream apart from burst pipes.

These Mixed Berry Toasts fall somewhere in between this indulgence-virtuousness spectrum. Each toast is loaded up with a lavish slick of either light & fresh ricotta cheese or rich & creamy mascarpone. These toasts are then adorned with various fruity toppings:

• Strawberries, mint & hazelnuts
• Raspberries, basil & pistachio nuts
• Blueberries, lemon zest & mint

A little trickle of honey across each toast is the final flourish. These Mixed Berry Toasts could not be simpler to prepare. They are fresh, fruity, substantial and make a great breakfast, especially when time is short.

Picking a favourite is tricky. I do love variety. Strawberries and mint is a well loved classic. It tallies particularly well with mascarpone cheese and a grind of black pepper.

But I also like the very summery combination of raspberries and basil. It’s slightly less obvious than pairing them up with mint (which, let’s not ignore, is another lovely partnership).

As for the blueberries and lemon, it was a spur of the moment team up that worked well. No need for nuts and lovely with either of the cheeses.

And there we have it, my (cocktail-free) mini buffet of Mixed Berry Toasts – you could get away with calling them Breakfast Crostini.

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Breakfast Crostini: Mixed Berry Toasts with Soft Cheese & Nuts

Prep Time

10 mins

Total Time

10 mins

 

Fun, colourful, ultra quick to assemble and virtually healthy. These Mixed Berry Toasts are the answer to your breakfast woes.

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Worldwide

Keyword: blueberry crostrini, breakfast crostini, fruit crostini, raspberry crostini, strawberry crostini

Author: Jane Saunders

Ingredients

Per person

• 3 slices Baguette - 1cm thick, sliced on the diagonal (I used sourdough) - see notes
• 1 1/2 tsp Liquid honey

For the Strawberry Toasts

• 2 tsp Mascarpone cheese
• 2 Medium strawberries - hulled, chppped small
• 2 Hazelnuts - finely chopped
• 2 Mint leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

For the Raspberry Toasts

• 2 tsp Ricotta Cheese
• 5 Raspberries
• 2 Pistachio nuts - finely chopped
• 2 Basil leaves

For the Blueberry Toasts

• 2 tsp Ricotta cheese
• 7 Medium blueberries
• A little grated lemon zest

Instructions

1. Begin by lightly toasting the bread on both sides

For the Strawberry Toasts

1. Spread the toast with the mascarpone cheese
2. Rip up a mint leaf and scatter over the cheese
3. Pile the strawberries onto the toast
4. Rip up the remaining mint leaf and scatter on top
5. Drizzle with 1/2 tsp honey
6. Grind a little black pepper on top (optional)

For the Raspberry Toasts

1. Spread the toast with the Ricotta cheese
2. Rip up a basil leaf and scatter over the cheese
3. Arrange the raspberries onto the toast
4. Rip up the remaining basil leaf and scatter on top
5. Drizzle with 1/2 tsp honey

For the Blueberry Toasts

1. Spread the toast with the mascarpone cheese
2. Rip up a mint leaf and scatter over the cheese
3. Arrange the blueberries onto the toast
4. Rip up the remaining mint leaf and scatter on top along with the lemon zest
5. Drizzle with 1/2 tsp honey
6. Serve the toasts Immediately

Recipe Notes

Although I recommend baguette, any firm bread will do - just avoid pre-cut, supersoft loaves. You want something with a little bite. Also, remember to increase quantities if you use larger slices of bread

 Do you still want the cocktails? These might keep you going:

Raspberry & Passionfruit Martini (aka The Blushing Cuban)

The Baylon: A Bourbon, Pineapple & Pear Delight

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