Fall Bruschetta

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Hubby and I are off to Canada for a long weekend today. We’re going to see Niagara Falls with some friends from college. I’m really looking forward to the extra long weekend. But don’t worry, I have some posts scheduled to keep you guys company while we’re away. I finally admitted to myself (and my stomach) that fall has arrived. So now I’m starting to get really excited about all the fall baking that I have coming up!

This bruschetta screams fall to me. I brought it to Megan’s surprise birthday party and it was a big hit. As you can see, the recipe includes butternut squash, apple, and eggplant. I honestly couldn’t taste the apple or eggplant, so if I made this again, I’d probably leave them out unless I had some in the house to get rid of… Since I can’t eat ricotta, I subbed goat cheese. Feel free to use whichever you prefer. When the topping came out of the oven, I tasted it and thought it needed some texture. So I added some toasted walnuts. The texture was a nice addition and I’m glad I made it!

This fall bruschetta is a great appetizer to bring to a potluck or party. I brought all of the components (toasts, goat cheese, and topping), then assembled them once we got to Megan’s place. It worked out really well.

One Year Ago: Pizza Dough
Four Years Ago: Tofu and Veggies in Peanut Sauce

Fall Bruschetta

Yield: Serves 10

Ingredients:

For the Toasts:
1 baguette
Olive oil

For the Caramelized Onion:
1 red onion
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar

For the Topping:
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups peeled & cubed butternut squash
1 1/2 cups finely diced eggplant, unpeeled
1 cup finely diced apple,unpeeled
kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

1 cup goat cheese, at room temp

Directions:

To make the Toasts:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the baguette into 1/2" slices & lay them out on a baking sheet. Drizzle the bread slices with some olive oil & bake for about 5 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Set aside.

To make the Caramelized Onions:
Quarter & thinly slice the onion. Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add the onions, balsamic vinegar & sugar. Cook until the onions are softened & all the liquid is absorbed. Set aside.

To make the Topping:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, toss the butternut squash, eggplant, apple, 1 Tbsp olive oil & smoked paprika. Season with salt & pepper. Spread the mixture out on a baking sheet & bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing halfway through, until the squash is just tender.

Transfer to a mixing bowl; add the onions and walnuts. Toss well. Check for seasoning & add a bit more salt & pepper, if needed.

To assemble:
Spread a bit of ricotta cheese over each toast, then spoon some of the bruschetta on top. Transfer to a serving platter & serve.

Recipe adapted from The Parsley Thief

Appetizers / Snacks

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27 Responses to “Chocolate Goat Cheese Mousse Tart”

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Eva @ Eva Bakes — June 7, 2013 at 8:27 am
What an awesome way to feature goat cheese in a dessert! I never thought of turning it into a chocolate mousse – sounds like I need to try this soon. 🙂
- beantownbaker — June 7th, 2013 @ 8:51 am
  
  You definitely should. I know goat cheese isn’t for everyone, but we really enjoyed the subtle flavor in the mousse.
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Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic — June 7, 2013 at 8:42 am
Jen, I love everything about this tart – from the chocolate crust to the mousse and the pretty strawberries on top. Yum! Enjoy your birthday month 🙂
- beantownbaker — June 7th, 2013 @ 8:52 am
  
  Thanks for humoring me on the whole birthday month thing 🙂
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Krystal R. — June 7, 2013 at 1:24 pm
Ohhh lalalalala, I totally dig this dessert even more because it has goat cheese and strawberries…some of my fave foods!! Happy Birthday month…you better party and eat like it’s your birthday!!
- beantownbaker — June 7th, 2013 @ 1:52 pm
  
  Oh I’m definitely going to party like it’s my birthday! All month long 🙂
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Shannon — June 10, 2013 at 10:24 am
oh yes to the goat cheese in this tart! fabulous. happy birthday month 🙂 you might need to make this a few more times to celebrate?!
- beantownbaker — June 10th, 2013 @ 12:09 pm
  
  Oh I have been baking plenty of deliciousness this month to celebrate 🙂 You know how hard it is to repeat recipes…
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Karen — June 10, 2013 at 11:50 pm
Love the idea of incorporating goat cheese in a dessert- I have never seen it down with chocolate before. I will definitely be trying this soon as I have some goat cheese in my fridge waiting to be used 🙂
- beantownbaker — June 11th, 2013 @ 7:20 am
  
  Oh yea, goat cheese and chocolate go really well together.
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Carolyn — June 11, 2013 at 8:26 am
Oh my, the use of goat cheese in this is phenomenal! I would love to try it!
- beantownbaker — June 11th, 2013 @ 8:46 am
  
  Definitely do! And you could top it with any fruit you like. I think raspberries would be good too.
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Consuelo @ Honey & Figs — June 11, 2013 at 9:39 am

Chocolate must work great with goat cheese since they’re both utterly delicious!! This recipe looks magnificent omg I think I would be able to eat the whole tart by myself *-*
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Justine @ Cooking and Beer — June 11, 2013 at 1:17 pm

Goat cheese is one of my favorite ingredients to use in desserts, and your tart looks soooo delicious! Thanks for sharing =) Definitely a must try this summer.
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Nutmeg Nanny — June 12, 2013 at 10:33 am

Oh wow this is gorgeous! I love this recipe, I bet it tastes heavenly!
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Beth — June 25, 2013 at 5:13 pm
I just finished making my second one for this week…we love it…it is so smooth and rich and well D E L I C I O U S!!!…my grandson requested the second one but truth be told I was gonna make it anyway…the bittersweet chocolate and the cocoa in the crust are what make it….if anyone out there hasn’t tried it do so you will be in love….
- beantownbaker — June 25th, 2013 @ 5:38 pm
  
  So glad you’ve enjoyed it! I definitely need to make this again. I have already made it with raspberries but want to try blackberries next.
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Beth — July 1, 2013 at 6:10 am
you wont believe it but I made this AGAIN yesterday…I did a play on bananas foster on the top…it was a hit with my company…and good recipes for sweets for the 4th?..lol….
- beantownbaker — July 3rd, 2013 @ 5:02 pm
  
  Wow – bananas foster on top. I would never have thought of that! I am making this tart and this strawberry shortcake for the 4th.
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Shashi @ http://runninsrilankan.com — July 15, 2013 at 11:48 am

So sinful and delicious looking 🙂
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NaturesComplete — July 17, 2013 at 1:27 pm

Holy yumminess. I never thought of putting goat cheese in. My mouth is watering at the thought. Strawberries are my absolute favorite berry of all time. I will have to for sure try this recipe, Got it saved to my personal file. thank you.
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Laura — August 3, 2013 at 12:07 am
I love chocolate mousse and I love goat cheese, so clearly I need to make this!

Also, there is strawberry picking (not sure it is organic though if that matters) up here near Oxford. I can get you the info for next year if driving up here is not a problem (I imagine it depends on what side of Cinci you live 🙂 ).
- beantownbaker — August 4th, 2013 @ 6:44 pm
  
  I definitely don’t mind driving for freshly picked strawberries!!
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Kelly Senyei | Just a Taste — September 20, 2013 at 6:17 am
I love absolutely EVERYTHING about this recipe! It’s hard to beat mixing tangy goat cheese with chocolate and berries. What a unique recipe!
- beantownbaker — September 25th, 2013 @ 4:11 pm
  
  It tastes as good as it sounds! I hope you try it.
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Lauren — June 1, 2015 at 5:49 pm

WOW! What a wonderful recipe! Definitely one of my new favorites! Happy birthday month!
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April — March 1, 2016 at 5:29 pm

Does this go in the fridge covered or uncovered and how long does it last? Thanks!