Roasted Apricots and Figs on Bread

by Susannah Chen 2

I recently hit up a trendy restaurant for brunch, where I found myself feasting on crusty bread topped with macerated raspberries and mascarpone cheese. The dish was chock-full of peak season sweetness, but I couldn't help but think that, at an overpriced $9, it'd be better off made at home.

So, with that inspiration in mind, I took to my market and picked up a bounty of end-of-season apricots for a mere 99 cents per pound. The stone fruits, along with some figs, went into the oven to be roasted until they were syrupy and falling-apart sweet. I served them in their juices over fresh ricotta on rustic levain.

As it turns out, roasted fruit-topped bread makes a delicious start to the day, as well as an after-school or post-workout snack. It's easily adaptable (I'm certain everything from plums to blackberries to grapes would work!) and affordable to make at home. Keep reading for the indispensable recipe.

From Susannah Chen, YumSugar

Roasted Apricots and Fig Tartines

Ingredients

5 large apricots, pitted, split, and sliced
5 large, ripe figs, quartered
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup ricotta or mascarpone cheese
4 slices levain bread, each cut about 1" thick

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Combine the sliced apricots and the quartered figs in a medium roasting pan; drizzle with maple syrup and toss to coat. Roast at 350ºF for 15 minutes; raise temperature to 400ºF and bake for another 15 minutes. Let cool.
2. Spread each slice of bread with a generous layer of cheese (about 2 tablespoons per slice for a large piece of bread). Top the four pieces of bread evenly with roasted fruit and its juices.

Serves 4.

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