Falling for Apples this Season

Pumpkins garner a lot of publicity during fall, and rightly so; they are quite versatile and I am anxious to share a pumpkin dessert dip later this week! That said, apples deserve more attention for being a fabulous fall fruit, as well. Just like the pumpkin, you can use apples in baking or in cooking. It wasn’t until we started using Blue Apron that apples became a staple in my saute pan. If you haven’t tried cooking them in a skillet, you should!

Easy Fall Appetizers for Thanksgiving

Appetizer recipes are probably my favorite category of food to share because well, they are great for sharing! Every November I research Pinterest and then recipe test to find something fun to bring as an appetizer on Thanksgiving Day. This year, the lucky winner is… apple, brie and honey crostini!

This recipe has all the elements you want in an appetizer:

1. bite-sized
2. tastes good hot or room temp
3. sweet and savory
4. easy to make

I love recipes that are simple but still allow for some creativity. There’s always room for innovation in my book, so instead of topping the crostini with plain chopped pecans, I roasted my own candied spiced pecans.

Candied Spiced Pecans

Serve these spiced pecans alone or add them to your baking. They make a great party snack and also add a touch of festivity to any of your holiday gatherings. I first saw a recipe for candied pecans on the Live Well Bake Often blog, but I’ve tasted a spicier version from Urban Cookhouse, so I wanted to see if I could create a good balance between the sweet and the spicy.

The happy medium is a few dashes of cayenne pepper! See the full recipe below for the crostini and visit here for the candied pecans recipe.

Print

Apple, Brie and Honey Crostini with Spiced Pecans

An easy appetizer for a fall party or a pre-game nibble before Thanksgiving dinner

Course Appetizer

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1 baguette
• 5 tbsp raw honey
• 1 wheel brie cheese
• 1 apple (ex. gala, honey crisp)
• 1/2 lb pecan halves
• fig and apple jam

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

2. Cut ends off of baguette and discard. Then, cut bread into 1/2 inch rounds and place on large baking sheet

3. Cut Brie cheese into 1/4 inch thick slices to fit the length of the crostini.  Do the same with the apple.

4. Place the brie onto each crostini and bake for 7-10 minutes

5. Add apple slices, candied pecans and a drizzle of honey to each crostini. 

6. Serve and enjoy!