Fig & Blue Cheese Crostini Recipe

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the baguette on the bias into 24 slices about 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick. Arrange slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Brush both sides of each slice lightly with the 2 tbs olive oil and sprinkle the 1 tsp kosher salt evenly over the slices.

Bake for 8–12 minutes, flipping once halfway, until edges are golden and crisp but not browned too dark. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack.

While the crostini are baking, cut the bacon crosswise into 1/4-inch (6 mm) lardons (short batons).

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. If your bacon is very lean, add 1 tsp neutral oil to the pan; otherwise no additional oil is needed.

Add the bacon lardons in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until they render fat and become crisp at the edges, about 6–8 minutes. Adjust heat as needed to avoid burning.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked lardons to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Season with 1/4 tsp black pepper while hot. Reserve 1–2 tsp of the bacon fat for the topping (optional) and discard the rest or save for another use.

Core and quarter the figs: slice off the stem end, then cut each fig into 4 wedges. If figs are very small, halve instead.

In a small bowl, combine the 3 tbsp softened cream cheese and 4 oz crumbled blue cheese. Stir until relatively smooth and spreadable. If mixture is very stiff, fold in 1 tsp reserved warm bacon fat or 1 tsp milk to loosen.

Taste and adjust: fold in 1 tsp honey and 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, then season with 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper. The mixture should be a balanced creamy base with sweet and savory notes.

Spread about 1 teaspoon of the cheese mixture onto each crostini slice in an even layer (adjust to preference).

Top each spread crostini with 1–2 fig wedges (or one small fig half), then scatter a few bacon lardons over the figs so each crostini has about 3–4 small bacon pieces.

Drizzle the assembled crostini lightly with remaining 1 tsp honey (divide across) and sprinkle a few extra thyme leaves for garnish. Optionally finish with a few turns of freshly ground black pepper.

Serve immediately so crostini remain crisp. If you must hold briefly, place assembled crostini on a tray in a single layer at room temperature for up to 30 minutes.