Spiced Autumn Crostini

I'm back at it again. This How Sweet It Is recipe is from Seriously Delish, and includes all of my favorite fall flavors. Pumpkin. Creamy cheese. Sage. Crunchy Hazelnuts. Oh, and bread. Never overlook the bread. If I was stranded on a deserted island and had to bring 3 items, one would most surely be bread. Give me all of the empty calories. I made these for our annual Halloween dinner party last weekend, but I find that these are perfect through out the month of November, especially as a side or appetizer at Thanksgiving dinner *hint hint*. Oh yeah, Thanksgiving is now upon us. Don't even think about mentioning Christmas to me yet. Thanksgiving deserves it's dues. This will definitely be in  my appetizer rotation. These crostini bites are perfectly crunchy, creamy, and savory all at the same time.

Spiced Autumn Crostini

Ingredients:

• 1 large baguette, sliced into 1-inch slices
• 4 oz. goat cheese
• 4 oz. ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 10 fresh sage leaves

In the bowl of a food processor add the goat cheese, ricotta cheese, pumpkin, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix until smooth. Place in the fridge until ready to assemble the crostinis. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the sliced bread on the baking sheet and spray the tops with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes until crispy and warmed through.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and cook until crispy on both sides. Remove from the pan and set on a paper towel to cool. Once cooled, mince finely. 

Once the bread is crispy, top each crostini with a spoonful of the pumpkin cheese puree and sprinkle with some chopped hazelnuts and the minced sage.