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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Peach & Goat Cheese Crostini (+wine pairing)

appetizer· Holiday Favorites· Summertime Favorites· Valentine's Day
November 13, 2017

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older. #Chardonnation #NotableHoliday #CollectiveBias

Peach & Goat Cheese Crostini – Slices of crusty, toasted baguette are rubbed with garlic, topped with whipped goat cheese and sliced peaches, and finished with basil and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Perfectly paired with Notable Wines Fruity & Crisp Chardonnay. 

Tray of Peach & Goat Cheese Crostini Are you ready for another installment in my wine pairing series?? You guys have been loving the wine pairing posts this year so I happy to bring you yet another great way to pair your favorite wines with some incredible food. But before we get to today’s recipe, do you remember all the wines we’ve covered so far??

  • Notable: Oaky and Buttery Chardonnay paired with Shrimp & Grit Cake Bites
  • Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon paired with Blackberry Rosemary Pork Tenderloin
  • Kung Fu Girl Riesling paired with Italian Herb Wings with Gorgonzola Dipping Sauce

Which one has been your favorite so far???

If you loved the Notable: Oaky and Buttery Chardonnay that I posted in spring, you’re gonna love today’s wine too! Today we’re pairing with Notable Wines other chardonnay – Notable: Fruity & Crisp Chardonnay.

Two bottles of Notable brand wine

As you may remember in my previous post on Notable: Oaky and Buttery Chardonnay, Notable Wines are the first wines to highlight the flavor profiles right on the bottle, making the pairing process super easy for you. As you can see in the bottle above, the Notable: Fruity & Crisp Chardonnay pairs the best with citrus, melon, and peach flavors. So that helps us narrow down the types of foods to pair with this wine.

To get you prepped for all your holiday parties coming up, I decided to make this pairing an incredible appetizer that has yummy peach. Check out my Peach & Goat Cheese Crostini!

Peach & Goat Cheese Crostini with whole peach slices on top Peach & Goat Cheese Crostini bread slice topped with goat cheese spread and a peach sliceServing tray of Peach & Goat Cheese Crostini

Earlier this year, I shared my Tomato & Whipped Feta Crostini. In that post, I explained what crostini were, but I never explained what makes crostini different from bruschetta. The truth is that the difference is extremely subtle so you’ll often see the terms used interchangeably.

But if you ask me, I think of bruschetta as large pieces of breads with hearty toppings, whereas crostini are little pieces of bread with dainty toppings. I guess you could say bruschetta is rustic and crostini is fancy.

At the end of the day, though, they both feature crusty bread and that’s all I really need to know.

Cookie sheet of slices of a french baguette

To make this recipe, it’s very similar to the tomato & whipped feta crostini, but fewer ingredients, and, thus, fewer steps. All you need for this recipe is a baguette, peaches, a garlic clove, goat cheese, cream cheese, basil, olive oil, and balsamic glaze.

One of the surprising flavors of this crostini is the subtle garlic flavor. Instead of chopped up garlic into the goat cheese like I did in this whipped goat cheese recipe, we’re simply rubbing garlic onto each toast. The warm temperature of the toasted bread absorbs the garlic oils and adds the perfect touch to each crostini. Guys, don’t underestimate the power of a little garlic essence.

Let me just say this about these crostini…good luck trying to have just one! I was munching on these all through this photo shoot. But is that really shocking? Goat cheese makes everything incredible.

Tray of finished Peach & Goat Cheese Crostini

As always, I have a few tips to make sure you have everything you need to know for this recipe:

  1. If peaches aren’t super flavorful, toss in a tablespoon of sugar before using them. This goes for fresh or frozen peaches. And speaking of frozen, don’t shy away from using frozen peaches if you don’t have fresh peaches available to you. I’ve used them before and they make for a pretty great substitute when you don’t have the fresh stuff around.
  2. Use store-bought balsamic glaze instead of making it yourself to save time. I found some in the vinegar aisle at my local grocery store. I keep a bottle of it in my pantry so I can drizzle on a salad or chicken or anything. This stuff is gold, people!
  3. Don’t not assemble the crostini until you plan to serve them. They do not keep well when stored because the bread can get soggy. If you want to prep ahead, you can make the whipped goat cheese ahead of time and store in the fridge until assembly time. You can also slice the peaches and bread ahead of time to save time.

There you have it – the best appetizer for all you parties this season and the best wine to serve alongside it. Make sure to check out Notable Wine’s website to see where you can find their wines near you!

Glass of white wine in front of two bottles of Notable brand chardonnay

Print Recipe

Peach & Goat Cheese Crostini

Slices of crusty, toasted baguette are rubbed with garlic, topped with whipped goat cheese and sliced peaches, and finished with basil and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Perfectly paired with Notable Wines Fruity & Crisp Chardonnay.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time8 minutes mins
Total Time23 minutes mins
Servings: 24 crostini

Ingredients

  • 1 long French baguette
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 8 ounces goat cheese
  • 2 tablespoons whipped cream cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 whole garlic clove
  • 2 peaches thinly sliced or diced (or 16oz frozen peaches, thawed)
  • 1/2 cup basil leaves
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze storebought or homemade

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice baguette into 1/2 inch slices and arrange onto large baking sheet. Brush olive oil onto each piece of bread. Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, or until the edges get golden brown. Set aside to cool.
  • Slice log of goat cheese (skip if using crumbles) and place into food processor with whipped cream cheese, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse until mixture whips up and comes together.
  • Cut garlic clove in half and rub onto toasted bread slices. Spread each slice with a teaspoon of whipped goat cheese. Add one or two thin slices of peach (or a teaspoon of diced peaches) to each crostini.
  • Gather basil leaves and roll longways into a cigar. Thinly slice from one side to the other to get long strips. Sprinkle basil over each crostini. Finish each crostini with a drizzle of balsamic glaze . Serve immediately with Notable Fruity & Crisp Chardonnay

Notes

Recipe adapted from Life as a Strawberry

Pin for later:

Peach & Goat Cheese Crostini  photo collage

More recipes you’ll love:

Tomato & Whipped Feta Crostini

Tray of Tomato & Whipped Feta Crostini

Shrimp & Grit Cake Bites

Plate of Shrimp & Grit Cake Bites

Goat Cheese Stuffed Sweet Peppers

Bowl of Goat Cheese Stuffed Sweet Peppers

Mini Pesto Grilled Cheese

A Mini Pesto Grilled Cheese being pulled apart, with the cheese stretching between the two

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13 Comments

« Pomegranate Rosemary Moscow Mule
Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting »

Comments

  1. Mallorie Owens says

    November 17, 2017 at 9:52 am

    This looks amazing! Love sweet things with goat cheese.

    Reply
  2. Lauren says

    November 16, 2017 at 9:53 pm

    This looks so good! Need to make this asap!

    Lauren

    Reply
  3. Jessica Bradshaw says

    November 16, 2017 at 7:08 pm

    YES!! These look fantastic and perfect for hosting. I will have to try to make this very soon. It seems so simple.

    Reply
  4. Julie Hoag says

    November 16, 2017 at 6:06 pm

    These look SO GOOD! I love the idea of having them with white wine! Wish I could eat these right now;)

    Reply
  5. Holly says

    November 15, 2017 at 9:20 pm

    This recipe look so yummy! I love goat cheese, so I’ll definitely have to try this one xx

    http://hollyhabeck.com

    Reply
  6. Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

    November 15, 2017 at 7:34 pm

    These look great! It’s such a great appetizer idea for the holidays!

    Reply
  7. Anna says

    November 15, 2017 at 6:16 pm

    It looks so delicious! It never crossed my mind to pair peaches with goats cheese and eat it as a sandwich. I have to try it!

    Reply
  8. Elizabeth O says

    November 15, 2017 at 2:28 pm

    I love peaches, goat cheese, and as much crusty bread as I can eat. This is definitely a winner in my book. Yum! 🙂

    Reply
  9. Ruthie Ridley says

    November 15, 2017 at 12:54 pm

    Sounds like the perfect pairing! I love your recipes!

    Reply
  10. Dwan Perrin says

    November 14, 2017 at 3:15 pm

    Yum, fresh peach slices. Looks great! ~client

    Reply
  11. Monique says

    November 13, 2017 at 11:02 am

    This recipe looks so amazing! I will try this!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      November 14, 2017 at 3:32 pm

      Thanks Monique!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Entertaining Made Easy with J. Lohr Chardonnay | Shenska says:
    September 6, 2018 at 11:07 am

    […] quick dinner + light bites to prepare, I recommend making this three herb chicken and mushrooms + peach & goat cheese crostini. Both of these dishes paired beautifully with our J. Lohr Estates Riverstone Chardonnay, because […]

    Reply

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Hi, my name is Sharon. I’m an accountant by day, risk-taking baker and food enthusiast by night. Come join me as I share my favorite recipes and test out new ones along the way!

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Okay, story time! Over the holidays, we finally go Okay, story time! Over the holidays, we finally got to visit Gideon's Bakehouse in Orlando, you know, the legendary bakery with the nearly HALF-POUND cookies that everyone raves about? The ones with 2+ hour wait times?

They had a virtual queue going, so we shopped around until it was our turn (thank goodness!). I grabbed a few of their famous cookies, including one that immediately caught my eye: the Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookie. 

I'm obsessed with banana and chocolate together, so this was a no-brainer!

And OH MY GOSH. It was even better than I imagined! Not only was it loaded with chocolate and real banana flavor, but it had candied walnuts throughout for this sweet-salty crunch. INCREDIBLE! 

The biggest bummer? You can ONLY get them in Orlando, no online ordering, no shipping. So of course, I decided to recreate them at home! And you guys... I think I got pretty darn close!

What makes these cookies special:
🍌 Real Banana Flavor: Mashed banana (not artificial!) gives them that authentic banana bread taste
🥜 Candied Walnuts: This is KEY—they stay crunchy and add that sweet-salty element
🍫 Double Chocolate: Regular AND large chocolate chips for maximum chocolatey goodness
🍪 Thick & Chewy: Chilling the dough keeps them beautifully thick

Want to make your own Gideon's-inspired cookies at home? 💌 Comment 'BANANA' below and I'll send you the link!

Have you been to Gideon's? What's your favorite cookie flavor? 👇
#BananaCookies #ChocolateChipCookies #GideonsBakehouse #OrlandoBakery #BakeryStyleCookies #BananaChocolateChip #HomemadeCookies #CookieRecipe #BakingFromScratch #CopycatRecipes
I used to love cooking, but during busy weeks it f I used to love cooking, but during busy weeks it felt like a chore. I was too exhausted after work to make anything fun. But with all that time at home, I was able to rethink our favorite foods and make them more achievable for weeknights.

I'd always loved mojo pork (that Cuban citrus-marinated pork that's SO flavorful), but I never made it because traditional pork loin takes FOREVER to roast. But then I had a lightbulb moment: What if I used pork TENDERLOIN instead? 

We eat it all the time because it's lean, quick-cooking, and my husband can grill it in under 30 minutes. Why not marinate it in mojo?

Here's what makes this recipe a weeknight winner:
🍊 The Marinade: Orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, and oregano create that classic Cuban flavor. Just dump everything in a bag and let it work its magic!
⏰ The Timeline: Marinate for 4-24 hours (I usually do overnight), then it's only 25 minutes of active cooking time. Quick sear + oven = done!
🍽️ The Versatility: Serve it with rice and beans, make tacos, top a salad, use for Cuban sandwiches, or meal prep it for the week!

Three critical tips:
-DRY the pork after marinating: This is SO important! Pat it completely dry before searing or you'll steam it instead of getting a beautiful crust
-Use a meat thermometer: Pull it at 145°F for perfectly juicy pork every time. No guessing, no cutting it open repeatedly
-Don't over-marinate: 24 hours max or the texture gets mushy!

This has become one of our absolute go-to meals. It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen but it's secretly SO easy!

Want the full recipe? 💌 Comment 'MOJO' below and I'll send you the link!

#MojoPork #PorkTenderloin #CubanFood #WeeknghtDinner #EasyDinner #DinnerIdeas #MarinadeRecipe #HealthyDinner #MealPrepIdeas #QuickDinner
Can we talk about how guava and cream cheese is TH Can we talk about how guava and cream cheese is THE most underrated flavor combination ever?! 

Growing up, guava was always around. My dad would spread it on toast with butter every morning, and I did the same. But it wasn't until I had guava with cream cheese at a Latin bakery in Florida that I truly appreciated this tropical fruit. 

The cream cheese perfectly balances the tangy guava jelly and makes everything ultra creamy. Wrapped in flaky puff pastry? KILLER.

I know this pastry braid looks super fancy and complicated, but here's the secret: IT'S SHOCKINGLY SIMPLE. When I first saw a pastry braid, I was so intimidated by how intricate it looked. It felt almost unattainable without tons of practice. But I'm here to tell you that is absolutely not the case!

Here's the whole process:
1️⃣ Roll out puff pastry and cut slits on the sides
2️⃣ Spread cream cheese and guava down the center
3️⃣ Overlap the side pieces to create the braid
4️⃣ Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar
5️⃣ Bake until deep golden brown

THAT'S IT! The braiding technique is so much easier than it looks, and the result is absolutely stunning.

Two critical tips:
-Keep it COLD before baking: Cold puff pastry = steam when it hits the hot oven = flaky layers! If the butter is too warm, it won't puff properly.
-Bake until DEEP golden brown: Not just golden, but DEEP golden. This ensures crispy, flaky pastry that's cooked all the way through. Nobody wants soggy pastry!

This is perfect for brunch, dessert, or honestly just because you want something that looks impressive but is secretly easy to make. You can also substitute any fruit preserves if you can't find guava!

Want the full recipe? 💌 Comment 'GUAVA' below and I'll send you the link!

#GuavaPastry #PuffPastry #PastryBraid #LatinDesserts #CreamCheese #BrunchRecipes #HomemadePastries #BakingFromScratch #WeekendBaking #ImpressiveButEasy
Do you remember those Danish butter cookies that c Do you remember those Danish butter cookies that came in the fancy blue tin? The ones your mom would buy every Christmas and you'd go absolutely CRAZY for? 

Well, guess what? You can make them YOURSELF! And they're shockingly simple!

I'm talking about those perfectly crispy-on-the-outside, melt-in-your-mouth-on-the-inside shortbread cookies that are basically edible butter. And honestly? 

I don't think they should be reserved just for the holidays. These cookies deserve to be eaten ALL YEAR LONG!

Here's what makes them so special:
-The Recipe: Only FIVE ingredients—butter, flour, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. That's it! If you can cream butter and sugar together, you can make these.
-The Texture: They're like shortbread cookies but slightly softer, so when you bite into them, they literally melt in your mouth. It's pure butter heaven.
-The Secret: Use European-style butter! It has a higher fat content which makes these cookies extra creamy and flavorful. It's worth the upgrade, I promise!

Important tips:
Be VERY careful measuring your flour—too much and the dough will be impossible to pipe
Use a LARGE star tip (not a small one!) or you won't be able to squeeze the dough out
These actually taste BETTER after they cool! The crispiness is what makes them so good, so resist eating them warm (I know it's hard!)

These are perfect for coffee breaks, gift-giving, parties, or honestly just because you deserve a good cookie. You can make them in under an hour from start to finish!

Want the full recipe? 💌 Comment 'BUTTER' below and I'll send you the link!

#DanishButterCookies #ButterCookies #ShortbreadCookies #HolidayBaking #CookieRecipe #HomemadeCookies
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These Sweet Potato Cupcakes are super moist, perfectly spiced, and topped with the creamiest cinnamon cream cheese frosting. 

They taste similar to pumpkin cupcakes (so if you're a die-hard pumpkin lover, you can absolutely swap in pumpkin puree!), but here's why sweet potato wins:
✨ More starch = MORE moisture and density in the cupcake
✨ The flavor is 100x better (fight me on this!)
✨ That perfect balance between sweet and earthy

But what I'm MOST proud of is how the frosting and cake work together. You know how sometimes you get a cupcake with frosting that's way too sweet so you just eat the cake? Or killer frosting but blah cake so you only eat the frosting? NOT THIS CUPCAKE. 

The spiced cake needs a little sweetness to balance it out, and the tart cream cheese frosting is PERFECT. They're soulmates! 

Important tips:
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-Use a 2M Wilton tip for that fancy frosting swirl (or just spread with a knife!)

Want the full recipe? 💌 Comment 'CUPCAKE' below and I'll send you the link!
Team Sweet Potato or Team Pumpkin? Let me know in the comments! 

#SweetPotatoCupcakes #CreamCheeseFrosting  #CupcakeRecipe

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