Amaretto Cherry Mascarpone Crostini

Ingredients

• •small baguette, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch thick pieces
• •tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• •oz mascarpone cheese, softened
• •tablespoons powdered sugar
• •teaspoon Amaretto liqueur (or almond extract)
• •1/2 cup pitted fresh or frozen cherries (thawed)
• •tablespoon granulated sugar
• •teaspoon lemon juice
• •Pinch of ground cinnamon
• •tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted

Prep Steps

1. 1Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Brush baguette slices with melted butter and bake for 8 minutes
2. 2minutes until lightly golden and crisp. Let cool completely.
3. 3In a small saucepan, combine cherries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes
4. 4minutes until the cherries soften and the sauce thickens slightly. Let the cherry compote cool.
5. 5In a separate bowl, gently mix the softened mascarpone cheese with the powdered sugar and Amaretto until just combined and smooth. Do not overmix.
6. 6Spread a generous layer of the Amaretto mascarpone mixture onto each cooled crostini base.
7. 7Top each crostini with a spoonful of the cherry compote and sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds before serving.