This recipe is a positively wonderful combination of cheese and fruit. A fresh, crusty baguette and ripe pears complement the blend of sharp blue cheese and creamy mascarpone to perfection. As you may have guessed, it is a pretty rich and filling appetizer, so serve sparingly if you want your guests to eat their meal!

Blue Cheese, Mascarpone And Pear Bites

Rounds of crusty baguette topped with ripe pear, blue cheese and mascarpone and toasted almonds makes an easy appetizer.

Author: Lynne Webb
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 16 pieces

Ingredients

1 French baguette
2 tablespoons melted butter
4 ounces mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup crumbled Maytag blue cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 ripe Anjou pears
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Slice sixteen 1/4-inch thick slices from the baguette and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush both sides of each baguette slice with butter. Bake until they turn a light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Combine the mascarpone cheese, blue cheese and lemon juice in a small bowl. Wash and core the pears with a paring knife, then slice each into 8 rounds.
Place one pear round on each slice of toasted baguette, top with some of the cheese mixture and smooth with a knife to cover the pear slice evenly. Top each with a few slices of toasted almond, arrange on a platter and serve.

Yum