Berry Bruschetta

I asked on Facebook yesterday whether you'd like to see berries or cookies on the blog today. And with a resounding YES for the berries, I bring you a beautiful berry dish - straight from Spring's back door. 

Berry Bruschetta

I mean, can you believe all that bright color? Nature has such a gorgeous way of naturally bringing the deepest blues, and brightest reds to our plates. Berries are in full-season right now, and are really cheap in our area right now at the supermarket (in our area). 

I can't wait to make a fresh batch of berry ice cream, or maybe a decadent berry tart with those blueberries. The sky is the limit with these beauties, and not just for the looks - their tastes are equally as seductive. 

This recipe was a second take - the first time the yogurt-cream cheese mixture was a little too bland. So we switched it up, changed a couple ingredients around (okay, we basically added a lot more sugar), and it tasted incredible the second time around. 

We loaded them up with all these bright & colorful berries. It was supposed to be a dessert, but we ended up eating them all before dinner...

thus, becoming our dinner. 

We didn't mind. I mean, who would? 

The toasted bread was 100% loaded with nostalgia. When I was growing up, my Grandma June would made cinnamon toast for us when we visited her in Mendon, Utah. To this day, whenever I have cinnamon toast, I think of her. She's perfectly exquisite, and I'm sure she would love topping her toast with some berries and sweetly soft cream. 

A lot of you are brand new readers... 

just so we're on the same page...

This is my camera. $30 off eBay. 

...laugh it up, my friends. 

I know I am. 

Now stop emailing me about my "fancy expensive camera preferences", zoom, lenses, lighting, etc.

Because I seriously know nothing about cameras. 

But really. 

Just a ton of sunshine through my big window and this camera. 

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Berry Bruschetta

Ingredients:

1 foot long crusty baguette, sliced into 1/2 inch slices

butter

cinnamon sugar (1 T cinnamon, 2 T sugar) doubled as desired

8 oz light cream cheese

zest of 1/2 lemon (1/2 t)

2 T powdered sugar + more as desired

1/4 C vanilla greek yogurt

bunches and bunches of berries

fresh mint for garnish (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to broil. Lightly butter one side of the baguette slices. Place baguette slices butter-side-up on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. 

2. Toast the baguette slices under the broiler until golden - about 2 minutes (but watch them). Remove them from the oven and let cool slightly. 

3. In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese, lemon zest, powdered sugar, and greek yogurt. Taste. Add more sugar to your liking. 

4. Spread about a tablespoon of the yogurt mixture onto the toasted baguette slices. Top with fresh berries and mint. 

recipe source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe