First you make a basil syrup. Hello. Where have you been my whole life? I'll see you soon. Then you pour that syrup over strawberries and roast them for an hour. Wow. It's all I can say. The smell, the taste, everything is so amazing. These strawberries are placed on top of goat cheese, which is on top of a crisp baguette. And then you add more fresh basil on top. The whole thing is an explosion of brilliant flavors in your mouth. Bet you can't eat just one!
If you haven't visited Confections of a Foodie Bride, check her out. She's a genius.
Strawberry Basil Goat Cheese Crostini Recipe
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For the basil syrup:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
5 basil leaves, torn into pieces
For the crostini:
12 ounces strawberries
Pinch of salt
Small baguette, sliced into thin pieces
Olive oil
4 ounces goat cheese, softened
Small basil leaves
To make the basil syrup, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat until hot and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, add the basil leaves, and let sit for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the basil.
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
Hull your strawberries and if you have large strawberries, cut them in half. Place them in an 8x8 baking pan and pour the basil syrup over the berries. Place them in the oven and bake for one hour, until they've softened.
Increase your oven temperature to 425 degrees.
Brush the baguette slices with olive oil and place in the oven for 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Take them out of the oven and spread with some goat cheese. Sprinkle a bit of salt on top of the cheese. Use a spoon to lightly smash the strawberries and then spoon a couple of these on top of the goat cheese. Drizzle with additional syrup and garnish with a few small basil leaves. Good luck not eating all of them.
Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride