Bruschetta Topped with Apricot, Melted Brie, and Pomegranate Seeds for the "Muy Bueno" Cookbook Spotlight & Cook-Off

Are you one of those people that are already prepped by holidays by the time October hits? Gifts purchased or homemade, family newsletter written, cookie list made, menus for the main holiday meals written? If so, I salute you! (I do find you truly annoying but I salute you.) ;-)  Or are you like me? The holidays just seem to come out of nowhere, intentions to plan fall by the wayside and the scrambling for what to bake/cook/serve for parties begins. Whichever holiday style fits you, do yourself one big holiday planning favor and bookmark this recipe for Bruschetta Topped with Apricot, Melted Brie, and Pomegranate Seeds to make for all those parties you host or are invited to. It's quick, easy, pretty and delicious. Not that you have to wait for a holiday to enjoy it. 

Or, you could also treat yourself to an early holiday present--a copy of Muy Bueno - Three Generations of Authentic Mexican Flavor by Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack, Veronica Gonzalez-Smith, and Evangeline Souza. As part of the Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off, sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef, I am cooking from and reviewing the book, along with some other wonderful bloggers. With last week's delicious Mushroom, Jalapeño, and Cilantro Salsa, they are now two-for-two with winning recipes.  

(I owe trying this recipe to my friend and co-worker Julie as I was flipping through the book, trying (scrambling) to find a fast, low-effort, no-meat kind of recipe. (It's been that kind of week... month...year...) This recipe caught my eye early on but I had dismissed it thinking there was no way I would find pomegranates in the store right now. Julie became fixated on the recipe and bummed that I wasn't going to try it. I remembered seeing packages of frozen pomegranate seeds at a local store so it was game on. Jules, these little treats are for you!)

Bruschetta Topped with Apricot, Melted Brie, and Pomegranate Seeds 
From Muy Bueno
(Makes 24 Pieces)

1 large pomegranate
2 cloves garlic sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 French baguette
1 cup apricot preserves
4 oz soft-ripened Brie cheese (recommended: goat Brie)
rosemary sprigs for garnish

Break open the pomegranate in a bowl of water to free the seeds. The seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the rest will float to the top. Discard the white membrane and put the seeds in a separate bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the seeds and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place garlic slices in olive oil and microwave for 1 minute to infuse the olive oil with garlic. Cut the baguette into 1/2-inch slices. Brush infused olive oil on one side of baguette slices. Lay bread slices on a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes. (The bread does not need to brown, just have a toast-like crust on the top surface.)

Spread apricot preserves on toasted bread. Microwave brie cheese for 10-15 seconds to soften the cheese. Cut the brie in half and spoon or drizzle the cheese on the toasted bread. Place a teaspoon of pomegranate seeds on each slice.

Serve while warm and garnish plate with rosemary sprigs.

Notes/Results: These are wonderful little bites of sweet and savory flavor. You bite into the crisp baguette slices and get a little hint of garlic, then the sweetness of the apricot preserves hits, along with the slightly sharp creamy brie and the just-tart-enough pomegranate seeds. Perfect. I love how simple they are to throw together--prep the bread slices and the pomegranate seeds ahead of time and you can have them ready it a few minutes. Be sure to have plenty of extra Brie though--melted, it is hard not to spoon it up and eat it instead of drizzling it on the bread. My one complaint is not about the recipe, it's just that frozen pomegranate seeds are quite as pretty as fresh ones--they loose some of their looks in the defrosting process. I will make these colorful little pupus all season long. 

Check back next week for my final review of this cookbook and a chance to win a copy of your very own!

 *This post is part of the Muy Bueno Cookbook Spotlight & Cook-Off sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef* 

Note: I received a copy of this cookbook from the publisher, however I received no monetary compensation to review it. As always, my thoughts, feedback and experiences cooking from it are entirely my own.