Whipped Ricotta Toast with Truffle Oil & Honey

❄LG,BE’s 12 Days of Christmas❄

☃️ Day 2 ☃️

December is always filled with too many social events and festive invites than we normally would attend in a month, but it really is the season for entertaining and hosting too isn’t it? I find that more often than not, there’s always a need to have an easy to whip up appetizer recipe in your back pocket (see what I did there 👀). This one requires almost no time at all to prepare, uses less than 5 ingredients, and truly makes an appealing statement on the appetizer table.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 baguette, sliced into crostini
• 1.5-2 cups of whole fat ricotta
• fresh lemon zest
• 1tbsp of truffle oil or EVOO
  truffle is completely optional, but highly recommended!
• salt + cracked black pepper
  garnish options:
  balsamic glaze, honey, red pepper flakes, more lemon zest, roasted fruit like grapes or pears, caramelized onions, light herbs such as thyme or basil, roasted cherry tomatoes, crispy shallots, or even a chili oil.

In a food processor (a die-hard fan of this mini one and a perfect gift idea for the holidays as well!), add the ricotta, lemon zest, salt and pepper, and puree while drizzling in the truffle oil until the mixture is fluffy and smooth. Taste for seasoning and re-adjust — ricotta cheese has such a subtle flavour that it can really take on whatever you add to it.

TIP: Opt for the whole milk ricotta over other alternatives they offer at the grocery store; the fattiness will maintain a creamy texture and won't break when additional oil is whipped into it.

Then, take the ricotta mixture and add it to a medium ziploc bag (try to keep to one side of the bag instead of spreading it). Chill until ready to serve, or serve immediately.

Preheat your oven to 350°F and place the crostini on a sheet tray with parchment. Toast in the oven for 6 minutes, flipping over once.

Next, take the ziploc and snip a medium sized hole at one of the bottom corners to create a makeshift piping bag. Pipe the ricotta mixture onto the crostini and then add a drizzle of honey and red paper flakes for some colour.

You’ll see that in the photos I have what looks like caviar atop the crostinis, but it was really small balsamic vinegar pearls courtesy of my parent’s latest trip to Italy😍 … and it was a perfect touch to really amp up the wow factor when serving!

This one will most likely be in my rotation, especially when it can be altered dependent on ingredients that are within season. If you’re interested in some other appetizers that could be perfect for a holiday get-together, check out the others on the blog✨:

• A Mozzarella and Garlic Bread Christmas Tree
• DIY Shrimp Cocktail
• Whipped Lemon Feta Dip
• Spinach and Artichoke Pinwheels

Peace and good eats, as always.
-A❄