This brunch dish brings together sweet and savory flavors in a way that is insanely good. The cheese melts into the raspberry jam and, combined with the brown sugar, makes this surprisingly addictive.

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices bakery-style white bread

　　1/4 cup olive oil

　　1/2 cup raspberry jam

　　2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves

　　8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and patted dry

　　Salt (optional)

　　2 tablespoons light brown sugar

　　

Special Equipment

A panini press, indoor grill, or ridged grill pan (see Cook’s Note)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the panini press or indoor grill.

　　

Step 2

Using a pastry brush, brush the bread on both sides with the oil. Spread one side of each slice of bread with the raspberry jam. Sprinkle the rosemary over the jam. Cut the mozzarella cheese into 8 slices. Place 2 slices of cheese on each of 4 of the bread slices. Season the cheese with a pinch of salt, if using. Place the remaining slices of bread on top, jam side down. Sprinkle the tops with the brown sugar.

　　

Step 3

Grill the panini for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden and crispy. Cut the panini in half and serve.

　　

Cook’s Note

Step 4

If you do not have a panini press or indoor grill, use a ridged grill pan: Preheat the pan, add the sandwiches (in batches, if necessary), and put a weight (such as a brick wrapped in aluminum foil or a heavy cast-iron skillet) on top to press them down. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes to brown the first side, flip the sandwich, replace the weight, and grill for 2 to 3 minutes to brown the other side and finish melting the cheese.

　　Giada at Home by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2010 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.