Recipe for brie crostini topped with visually stunning sugared cranberries which add a magical quality to this sweet and savory appetizer. Cranberries are soaked overnight in simple syrup then rolled in colored sparkling sugar, and nonpareils before topping brie crostini.
This recipe appears in my Taste of Tucson cookbook. The food photography earned a Photography Master’s Cup nomination.
Servings: 4 servings
Cranberries are tamed by an overnight soak in simple syrup, followed by a roll in a batch of sparkling sugar before topping brie crostini.
Ingredients
For the Sugar Bath
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups water
For Decorating
- ½ cup sprinkles such as colored sanding sugar, sparkling sugar and/or nonpareils
- ½ cup superfine sugar*
- *Note: If you can't find superfine sugar in the market pulse granulated sugar in the blender or food processor for a minute.
For Crostini
- 1 demi-baguette cut into diagonally into 1/2 inch slices then grilled or toasted.
- 4 ounces brie
- blackberries or other berries optional
Instructions
Stir the granulated sugar into the water and simmer over medium-low heat until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved and the liquid has slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Rinse the cranberries and place them in a shallow bowl. Pour the simple syrup over the cranberries, cover and refrigerate overnight.- The next day, drain the berries. Put the sprinkles and superfine sugar into a bowl deep enough to cover the berries. Gently roll the berries in the sugar/sprinkles mixture in small batches, remove with a fork and let dry on a baking sheet.
- Pile the berries and brie on top of baguette slices and garnish with additional sprinkles.
Notes
This photo was was nominated for the Photography Master's Cup in the Food Photography category, and the recipe was published in my book, Taste of Tucson.
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