The Crostini That Stops the Scroll: Roasted Grape & Whipped Ricotta 🧀✨ Toast it, whip it, pile it hot — the appetizer that outperforms every dish on the table.Like a vineyard in October decided to sit down on a piece of bread and stay a while.

 

🧾 INGREDIENTS

🍞 Crostini Base

・ 1 French baguette, sliced diagonally into 1.5 cm (½

inch) rounds

・ 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, for brushing

・ 1 garlic clove, halved, for rubbing

・ ½ tsp flaky sea salt🧀 Whipped Ricotta

・ 400 g (1¾ cups) full-fat fresh ricotta

・ 60 g (2 oz) cream cheese, softened

・ 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

・ 1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated

・ ½ tsp flaky sea salt

・ ¼ tsp white pepper🍇 Roasted Caramelized Grapes

・ 400 g (3 cups) seedless red or black grapes, left on

small stem clusters

・ 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

・ 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

・ 1 tbsp honey

・ ½ tsp flaky sea salt

・ 4 fresh thyme sprigs

・ ¼ tsp cracked black pepper🌿 Finish & Garnish

・ Extra fresh thyme sprigs

・ Cracked black pepper, generous amount

・ 2 tbsp good honey, for drizzling

・ 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to finish

・ Flaky sea salt, for the final pinch✨ The grapes

collapse in the oven and release a dark, wine-like syrup

that smells of caramel and thyme — spoon it over cold

ricotta and watch it bleed into the white.🔢

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F. 🔥

Toss the grape clusters in olive oil, balsamic vinegar,

honey, salt, and cracked black pepper.

Scatter thyme sprigs across the grapes and spread on a

parchment-lined baking tray.

Roast for 20–25 minutes until the grapes are blistered,

burst, and deeply caramelized.

The tray should have a thick dark syrup pooling around

the grapes — do not discard it.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes —

they should still be warm, not hot.

Slice the baguette diagonally into 1.5 cm rounds and

arrange on a separate baking tray. 🍞

Brush each slice generously on both sides with olive oil.

Toast in the same oven at 200°C for 8–10 minutes,

flipping once, until golden with charred edges.

While still hot, rub each crostini firmly with the cut side of

the garlic clove.

Sprinkle with flaky salt immediately and set aside to cool

slightly.

Add ricotta, cream cheese, olive oil, lemon zest, salt, and

white pepper to a food processor. 🧀

Blend on high for 90 seconds until the ricotta is

completely smooth, airy, and glossy.

Scrape down the sides and blend again for 30 seconds

— it should hold a soft peak.

Spoon the whipped ricotta into a piping bag or keep in a

bowl for spreading.

Spread or pipe a thick, generous layer of cold whipped

ricotta onto each warm crostini.

Use the back of the spoon to create a slight well in the

center of the ricotta. 🧀

Pile the warm roasted grapes directly onto the cold

ricotta — be generous and uneven.

Spoon the dark caramelized grape syrup from the tray

liberally over the top. 🍇

Tuck fresh thyme sprigs between the grape clusters.

Crack black pepper directly and generously across the

surface.

Finish with a light drizzle of honey and a thread of olive

oil. 🍯

Add a final pinch of flaky sea salt at the very last

moment before serving.