CRUNCHY CHRISTMAS CROSTINI

Crunchy Christmas crostini image

The tanginess of the salad beetroot pickles goes well with stilton, but you can use chutney if you prefer

Provided by Merrilees Parker

Time 35m

Number Of Ingredients 5

Ingredients

1 ready-to-bake ciabatta loaf
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large wedge of vegetarian stilton , about 200g/8oz
about half a 290g/11oz jar salad beetroot pickle
handful of celery leaves taken from the middle of a head of celery

Steps:

Up to a day ahead, heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Slice the ciabatta into about 25 thin slices. Lay them on a couple of baking trays and brush with the oil. Toast in the oven for 10 mins until they begin to go golden, checking after 5 mins as the trays may need turning.
Up to an hour ahead, cut the stilton into slices a little smaller than the toasts (this is easier to do if the cheese is cold from the fridge), keep covered.
Before serving, heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Spoon a little pile of beetroot onto the end of each piece of bread. Prop a slice of cheese up against each pile of beetroot and bake for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is starting to melt. You don't want it too melty - try to catch it just as it's starting to ooze over the edge.
Top each cheesy canapé with a little sprig of celery leaves and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 62 calories, Fat 4 grams fat, SaturatedFat 2 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 5 grams carbohydrates, Protein 3 grams protein, Sodium 0.4 milligram of sodium