“Stupid Easy, Super Stunning”

Quick, rich, and delish, these little crisps will give the impression of extreme effort, despite taking less time to prepare then it takes to chill the accompanying wine.

Ingredients

• 16 thin slices pancetta
• 16 teaspoons soft fresh goat cheese (from 5-ounce log)
• 2 very ripe small pears, halved, cored, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (Anjou or Barlett)
• Fresh thyme

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Place pancetta slices in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with pepper. Bake until golden, about 8-10 minutes, watch closely!Using spatula, slide pancetta crisps onto platter.
• Top each with 1 teaspoon goat cheese and 1 thin pear slice.
• Sprinkle with thyme and serve.

Suggested Mods

• Rather than flat crisps, create ‘bacon bowls’, line mini muffin tins with pancetta slices and then bake
• Those with a high salt tolerance and looking for the perfect icewine pairing, try substituting blue cheese for goat cheese.
• Fresh for success.  Aim for fresh thyme leaves, fresh ground pepper, and keep your pear slices looking their best with a quick dip in some lemon juice to avoid browning.

Pair with Creekside 2005 Vidal Icewine or 2006 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

Original recipe from Epicurious.com, tried, tested, and found true by Creekside foodies.