With Christmas behind us (just barely!), it is time to start planning for a New Year’s celebration. Fortunately, it takes a lot less work to prepare for this holiday compared to Thanksgiving & Christmas, but it still involves great tasting food!

My ideal way to welcome in a new year is by spending it with the people I care about while enjoying appetizers and champagne. Having small bites of a variety of flavors and textures is a very pleasurable experience for me. Especially if the appetizers are relatively easy to make, yet still incredibly tasty and delicious. And if I get to sample food that others have made, too, it is even better!

This crostini fits in with that the small bites-relatively easy-incredibly tasty criteria. Just baked bread is layered with sweet fig jam, savory prosciutto ham, and melty cheese. Fresh rosemary and crunchy walnuts are buried under the ham for extra depth of flavor. These make for a great start to the celebration!

Fig & Prosciutto Crostini

Fig & Prosciutto Crostini (adapted from allrecipes.com)  Total Time Required: 30 minutes, Prep Time: 15 minutes

Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients:

• 24 1/2-inch think French bread slices
• 2/3 cup fig jam
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 1/4 pound prosciutto
• 1-1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet. When the oven is heated, roast the walnuts until they just start to brown and smell toasted, about 5 to 8 minutes, watching them carefully to ensure they do not burn.

Toast the walnuts.

Heat the broiler to high. Place the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spread the slices with the jam.

Spread the bread slices with jam.

Sprinkle some chopped rosemary and toasted walnuts over the jam covered pieces of bread then layer a slice of prosciutto over top.

Sprinkle with rosemary . . .

. . . then with the walnuts . . .

. . . and top with a slice of prosciutto.

Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese.

Add the cheese.

Broil 4 inches from the heat for 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Broil until the cheese is melted.

Serve immediately.

And they’re ready!

Sweet and savory to welcome in a New Year!  ~Linda

Fig & Prosciutto Crostini (adapted from allrecipes.com)  Total Time Required: 30 minutes, Prep Time: 15 minutes, Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients:

• 24 1/2-inch think French bread slices
• 2/3 cup fig jam
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 1/4 pound prosciutto
• 1-1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet. When the oven is heated, roast the walnuts until they just start to brown and smell toasted, about 5 to 8 minutes, watching them carefully to ensure they do not burn.

Heat the broiler to high. Place the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spread the slices with the jam. Sprinkle some chopped rosemary and toasted walnuts over the jam covered pieces of bread then layer a slice of prosciutto over top. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.