Toast is special food.
It doesn’t matter what you top it with. A smear of butter and a sprinkling of salt. Lashings of tangy raspberry jam. Chunks of roast beef dripping in mustard. Sweet or savory, simple or elaborate, there’s just something especially wonderful about sitting down with a piece of crispy bread, glowing with golden-brown goodness, ready to shatter into flakes of crunchy goodness when you take a bite.
Now, only one month into what is quickly becoming another challenging year, I am already searching for something special lighten the dark winter days. So I created this Grapefruit Toast.
Crispy pumpernickel bread layered with creamy mascarpone, tangy grapefruit, and sprinkles of fresh mint. Elegantly effortless and delicious in its simplicity, this Grapefruit Toast with Whipped Honey Mascarpone promises to make any day a special occasion. It’s ridiculously easy to make, with only five ingredients, which can be assembled less time than it takes to explain. At the same time, it’s amazingly complex in flavor and texture. The savory toast perfectly balances the sweet creamy spread, while the tang of the citrus plays with the freshness of the mint. Take a bite, and you’ll get crunchy, creamy, juicy, sweet, and tart, all coming together in one delicious mouthful.
It’s the end of January, arguably the longest, hardest month of the year. At this point, we can all use a little lift, a bit of extra-special breaking up the humdrum of our day-to-day lives. The next time you find yourself feeling beat down and needing a dose of the extra-special, dust off your toaster and let a bit of sunshine into your day with a plate of this citrusy Grapefruit Toast.
Enjoy!
Grapefruit Toast with Whipped Honey Mascarpone
(Makes 4 toasts)
1 grapefruit
½ cup mascarpone cheese
2 tbsp honey
4 slices pumpernickel bread
Mint leaves, washed, picked, and chiffonaded (thinly sliced), for garnish
Special equipment: toaster, electric hand whisk (optional)
Method
Peel grapefruit as you would an orange. Set on a cutting board, end side down, and with a paring knife, trim off as much white pith as possible, cutting into the citrus flesh only as needed to ensure that no pith remains. Then, holding the grapefruit sideways in your hand, slice sideways into the fruit to cut out segments from the membrane.
Combine mascarpone cheese and honey in a small bowl, beating with an electric hand whisk until light and aerated. (Alternately, you can simply beat with a spoon until smooth; in this case, however, the spread won't be as light.)
Toast bread until crisp. Allow to cool slightly and then spread with whipped honey mascarpone. Layer with grapefruit segments and sprinkle with mint.
Originally posted January 31, 2021.
Comments