November Secret Recipe Club...Featuring Blueberry Shallot Jam Crostini with Crispy Prosciutto from Spinach Tiger

It’s November…wow, how did THAT happen?!?!? That means it’s time for another fun Secret Recipe Club reveal! My assigned blog this month is Spinach Tiger. I love visiting Angela's blog, so I was very happy to be assigned to share one of her recipes this month. If you haven’t visited her, be sure to go check out all her great recipes. She’s got everything from her family’s Italian classics to healthy options…and a lot of really fun small plates and appetizers. With the holidays coming, I quickly zeroed in on her appetizers.

The holidays seem to be full of last-minute invitations and drop-in visitors. I love to have a few quick appetizers  in my culinary bag of tricks that I can whip up and serve with a nice bottle of wine. I found just what I was looking for to add to this year’s options: Blackberry Shallot Jam Crostini with Crispy Prosciutto. Imagine toasted sourdough topped with sweetly creamy marscapone, homemade berry-shallot jam and smoky-salty crisped prosciutto. These crostini are easy and quick to make...and they’re gorgeous and taste amazing to boot!

I made a few minor tweaks to Angela's original recipe and halved the amount of ingredients since I was making it for two. I had a jar of Bonne Maman wild blueberry jam on hand, so I subbed that for blackberry jam. I also added a bit of rosemary to the thyme in the original recipe. Rosemary’s one of my favorite Fall flavors, and I happened to have some on hand and tossed it in with the thyme. Finally, I toasted slices of sourdough in a cast iron grill pan rather than bake the bread. These crostini make a fantastic first course or party appetizer.

 Blueberry Shallot Jam Crostini with Crispy Prosciutto

adapted from Spinach Tiger

Ingredients:

• 6 slices sturdy sourdough bread [NOTE: I used slices from a small boule]
• 1 tbs. good olive oil + 1 tbs. butter
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 tbs. good-quality blueberry jam (can use blackberry or raspberry too)
• Marscapone (please don't sub cream cheese...it's not the same!)
• 3 slices good-quality prosciutto (prosciutto parma is my favorite, and a few slices is pretty economical)
• 1 tsp. each fresh thyme and rosemary

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375. Place the prosciutto on a parchment lined pan. Bake for 5 minutes, flip the prosciutto, and cook for an additional 10 minutes. It should be crispy. Add the olive oil and butter to a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced shallot, 1 tsp. finely chopped rosemary and 1 sprig of fresh thyme. Cook until the shallots are soft and golden-brown. Add the jam, stir to combine, and turn heat off.

Step 2: While the shallots are cooking, toast the bread on a cast-iron grill pan. Spread with a thin layer of the marscapone. If you’ve never used this magic ingredient, now’s your chance. It’s lighter and creamier than cream cheese. It spreads very easily and has a slightly sweet taste that works perfectly in this dish.

Step 3: Spoon some of the herbed blueberry shallot jam mixture on top of the marscapone-topped crostini. Crumble some of the reserved prosciutto on top, along with a few fresh thyme leaves for garnish.

This is my kind of appetizer: full of big flavors and interesting textures! The crostini are crunchy, creamy and slightly sweet. Then the smoky saltiness of the prosciutto, savory herbed shallot and sweet-tart blueberry jam hit your palate. Heaven, I tell you! Simply add a nice salad, and this could easily be a light dinner. This one’s a keeper, people…I’m planning to add it to my Thanksgiving menu this year since I normally provide an appetizer. I just know this dish's unique flavors will be a huge hit.

I hope you’ll take a moment to visit the rest of today’s Secret Recipe Club Group A recipes. You’re sure to find something new to try out too!

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