Some rules are made to be broken.

Everything about this recipe goes totally against what I normally do for parties or events, what I advise others to do, and what really is the appropriate type of thing to serve to guests.

It has ingredients that may, (or may not, let’s be fair) leave a slight odour lingering on guests breaths, it takes more than one bite to consume and it’s very retro in it’s combination of mouthfuls of carbs and cheese.

But who cares. It is just too good.

I prepare this Brie and Pear Crostini often and it always, always, always gets gobbled up. There is something so addictively good about each bite that it is almost impossible to stop at just one. If your guests have super human will-power strength, then maybe they will be able to resist, but generally this is a second helping kind of hors d’oeuvres.

This crostini is really consistent for flavour but it’s also really simple to make. There are only four ingredients and you can prepare a whole baking sheet at one time freeing you from endless refills of trays.

But, it really is this secret ingredient that brings the flavour profile up a notch:

The garlic butter. I use a garlic butter that is already packaged as such and found at my local supermarket. If you want to be really adventurous, you could always make your own by combining unsalted butter with some roasted garlic. But, regardless of what type of garlic butter you opt for, this is the secret ingredient that cannot be left out.

So try making it this holiday season and I’m sure it will soon become part of your usual hors d’oeuvres repertoire.

Ingredients

• Brie Cheese
• Garlic Butter
• Pear
• Baguette

This recipe gives total flexibility. If you are having more guests, use a full round of brie, or opt for less if you are entertaining fewer people. You can select any type of pear that you would enjoy although I tend to use a Bartlett Pear because it keeps it’s form and stays a bit crunchy which gives good texture.

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400F

• Slice baguette width-wise into small crostini (maybe about 1/4 inch thick)

• Put a thin layer of garlic butter on each crostini

• Slice pear into thin slices and place on crostini

• Slice brie and place over pears on each crostini

• Bake for about 6 minutes in oven, until brie melts and becomes a bit bubbly. Crostini should have a light toasted feel

You don’t have to worry about it being pretty. Brie can soften quickly when left at room temperature so getting firm slices may be tricky.

It’s okay. It all melts in the oven anyways.

Take out of oven and serve immediately.

And, beware of sampling yourself. I just sampled, and I’ve had three.

Okay, now four……

This is ridiculous.

Enjoy.