Toasted baguette topped with creamy mascarpone, fresh strawberries, basil, and a drizzle of balsamic reduction

Looking for the perfect garden party appetizer? You’ve found it! This is basically my dream summer snack. It’s a little sweet, a little savory, and packs a whole lot of flavor into an adorable package. It comes together very quickly too, making it an excellent (and impressive) dinner party starter for a busy hostess.

This is one of those recipes that tasted even better than I thought it would. I made this beautiful plate of crostini for dinner with my parents a few days ago and I’m embarrassed to tell you that the three of us managed to polish off the entire plate and there were lots of “mmms!” around the room.

If you can’t find mascarpone, you can of course cream cheese. Goat or ricotta would be fun version as well, but I am a sucker for mascarpone! It’s creamier and quite a bit more spreadable than cream cheese, making it ideal to slather on crostini.

I don’t have amounts in this recipe because I never measure when making something like this. I will tell you that for one small baguette, I used about 1/3 of my mascarpone container and half a box of strawberries so one standard box of strawberries will go a long way! One box of strawberries and one container of mascarpone should make at least two dozen crostini.

Now, I keep a bottle of incredible balsamic reduction in my pantry but if you don’t have some on hand, it’s easy to make! Just pour balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pan and cook until reduced by half. It’ll be nice and syrupy.

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