Serve these toasts hot out of the oven. They’re a real crowd-pleaser and the recipe is easy to multiply to serve lots of people. If you make three panfuls at a time, position the oven racks so that they are evenly spaced and bake all three at once.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 8 servings (3 pieces each)

　　1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

　　1/2 cup grated mozzarella

　　2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, chopped walnuts, or slivered almonds

　　1 garlic clove, minced

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　Twenty-four 1/2-inch slices coarse-textured Italian or French bread

　　1/4 cup olive oil or melted butter

　　

Step 1

Position the oven racks so that the top rack is in the center of the oven or, if you are tripling the recipe, position the oven racks so they are evenly spaced, with the second rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to convection roast at 500°F.

　　

Step 2

While the oven is preheating, combine the blue cheese, mozzarella, pine nuts, garlic, and pepper in a bowl. Brush each slice of bread with olive oil and place on a rimless cookie sheet. Roast the bread on the center rack for 3 to 5 minutes, until toasted on one side. Remove the bread from the oven and turn over. Spread each slice with the cheese mixture, pressing down slightly with a fork.

　　

Step 3

Return the bread to the oven and roast until the cheese mixture has melted. Serve immediately.

　　From Cooking with Convection by Beatrice Ojankangas. Copyright (c) 2005 by Beatrice Ojankangas. Published by Broadway Books.Beatrice Ojakangas has written more than a dozen cookbooks, including Beatrice Ojakangas' Great Holiday Baking Book, Beatrice Ojakangas' Light and Easy Baking, Pot Pies, Quick Breads, Light Desserts, The Finnish Cookbook, and The Great Scandinavian Baking Book. Beatrice works as a consultant for Pillsbury and other major food companies, teaches cooking classes, and writes for various food magazines. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota.