My obsession with finger food knows very few bounds. So it should come as no shock that I love these little Prosciutto Pesto Canapes.
I realize how absurd I may sound, but one of my (many) favorite times of day on a cruise ship is Cocktail Hour. Sure wine and cocktails are lovely, but really I’m there for the finger food. I love all the little trays of pretty, tiny bites. They look so fancy and elegant sitting on their pristine trays in rows of military precision. And they are, but . . . the reality is that almost all of those awesome little bites are actually just a few well-paired ingredients that are assembled in an aesthetically pleasing manner. That is the vibe that I’m channeling with these canapes.
The intent of this flavor combination is to stick with slightly “lighter” flavors so that in that one bite you can get the creaminess of the pesto spread and the subtly of the prosciutto. The toast pieces essentially just a vehicle. If you were not trying to keep this keto, I suggest the little baguette pieces that you can find in the store.
What You Need
Equipment
- For the Canapes
- Cutting Board – For cubing the keto bread
- Chef’s Knife – For cubing the keto bread
- Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil – Optional
- For the Whipped Pesto Spread
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer and Large Bowl
- Measuring Cups
- Rubber Scraper
Ingredients
- Keto Bread – Cut each slice cut into 9 cubes.
- Whipped Pesto Spread – Make the lighter Spread version for use in these canapes. You’ll only need about half of the recipe. I would suggest turning the other half into the Dip version for an additional appetizer.
- Prosciutto – I get this in a 14 ounce pack from Sam’s Club.
Getting Started
This recipe is more about assembly than anything else. However, because of that, there are two prerequisites to setting up your assembly line–drying bread cubes and making Whipped Pesto Spread. Neither of these are particularly painful and, most importantly for a dinner party, can be prepped in advance.
For the bread cubes, I chose 9 cubes per bread slice based on the size of keto bread that I buy. Feel free to adjust if you need to. Just keep in mind that the idea here is for each of these to be consumable in a single bite, and size accordingly. Lay the cubes on a rimmed baking sheet. I line mine with heavy duty aluminum foil so that I can quickly switch my use of the sheet to something else as soon as I’m done. Put them in the oven at 250 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove, toss them, and put them back in for another 20 minutes until they are completely dried out.
While those are in the oven, make the “lighter” version of my Whipped Pesto Spread.
Slice the prosciutto into about 6 pieces per 1 ounce slice. I buy a pack of prosciutto at Sam’s Club that’s 14 (1 ounce) slices. Store these in a zip top baggie or airtight container in the fridge until you are ready for your assembly line.
Regarding the assembly part of this program, I like to do this part closer to the time of the party. Now . . . when you’re thinking about your Time Budget, it’s really important to account for this assembly time. Then, plan it in conjunction with whatever else you have to do in your “Day Of Timeline” (i.e. whatever else you have to finish in the last ~ 2 hours before guests begin to appear).
Lori Side Note: I usually serve appetizers on the table or wherever everyone is hanging out and socializing before dinner. In our house, that’s around the dining room table. Because of my particular room setup and spacing, I use multiple serving dishes to have some canapes at each end of the table.
If you are going to be serving these soon, place the bread cubes directly on the serving dish(es). Depending on your spacing and equipment, you could also assemble these and place them on a rimmed baking sheet. It is ideal to have a lid for the rimmed baking sheet. This will make it easier for you to manage and maneuver the batch. I suggest spooning the Whipped Pesto Spread into a zip top bag and cutting off the tip of one corner. Then you can just pipe it onto the bread cubes. Have your prosciutto pieces out and handy. Then assemble away.
Once complete, cover them with plastic wrap until you are ready to serve. Stick them in the fridge if it’s going to be awhile.
Prosciutto Pesto Canapes
Ingredients
- 9 slices Keto Bread Each slice cut into 9 cubes.
- 1 ⅓ cups Whipped Pesto Spread This is Option1, the lighter version of the recipe. You'll need about 1/2 of the recipe for the Whipped Pesto Spread.
- 14 slices Prosciutto Cut into 6 pieces each. This is based on 1 ounce slices.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F.
- Remove the crusts (if you would like) and cube each slice of keto bread into 9 pieces. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread the bread cubes on the sheet.9 slices Keto Bread
- Bake at 250 degrees F for 20 minutes. Take them out to flip / toss them. Put them back in the oven for 20 more minutes to finish drying out.
- Make the Whipped Pesto Spread (i.e. the lighter version) of my Whipped Pesto recipe. You only need half of it for these canapes.1 1/3 cups Whipped Pesto Spread
- Cut each 1 ounce slice of Prosciutto into 6 pieces.14 slices Prosciutto
- Spread / dollop 1 teaspoon of the Whipped Pesto Spread on each keto toast piece.
- Roll or scrunch each cut piece of prosciutto into a small square or lump that fits on the toast piece. Place one on top of the dollop of Whipped Pesto on each piece of bread.
- Cover with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to serve them.
Equipment
- Cutting Board For cubing the keto bread
- Chef's Knife For cubing the keto bread
- Rimmed Baking Sheet For drying the keto bread
- Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil Optional
- Stand Mixer OR Hand Mixer and Large Bowl (For the Whipped Pesto Spread)
- Measuring Cups (For the Whipped Pesto Spread)
- Rubber Scraper (For the Whipped Pesto Spread)
Notes
- Single Bite Sizing
- These canapes are intended to be single bites, so they are intentionally small. You can make them bigger, but I always find that successfully biting through a piece of prosciutto is hit or miss which can give your guests that awkward incomplete bite while talking that I like to avoid.
- Prosciutto Alternatives
- I used prosciutto for this particular recipe but feel free to swap it for another cured meat. My main goal with using the prosciutto with the “light” Whipped Pesto Spread is to allow all of the flavors to show without anything being overpowering.
- For alternatives, I would stick to any of the following: Serrano Ham, Jamon Iberico, or a mild salami.
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