Halloween Crostini: Black Bread with Smoked Paprika Tomato Butter and Sautéed Mushroom Skulls
Chewy and crisp keto-friendly bread gets topped with a smoky, sweet, tangy tomato butter and sautéed mushrooms for an excellent Halloween appetizer. This dish takes a bit of prep but none of it is difficult. All the components of this dish can be made ahead and simply assembled the day of serving. Just gently rewarm the butter and mushrooms while toasting the bread. I like to serve this with some prosciutto drizzled with a balsamic reduction as well.
Servings 6
Calories 177kcal
Ingredients
Black Bread
- 5 tablespoons ground psyllium husk powder
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon squid ink you won’t notice a flavor when baked, just for color, or 2 tablespoons charcoal powder, food grade (optional, for color - note that the bread will have a subtle grittiness to it and for that reason, I prefer squid ink)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 egg whites
Tomato Butter
Mushroom Skulls
- 1 tablespoons butter or butter flavored coconut oil for dairy-free
- 2 cups white button mushrooms
- 1 shallot sliced thin
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon sherry
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme fresh
- pinch red pepper flakes optional
- sherry vinegar or lemon juice, to taste
- 1 tablespoon parsley minced, fresh, or fresh thyme, to taste
Instructions
For the black bread
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl while you bring the water to a boil.
- Add the vinegar and the egg whites to the dry ingredients, and mix well. While mixing dough with a hand mixer, add the boiling water (should take about 30 seconds). Do not over mix the dough, the consistency will be similar to Play-Doh.
- Moisten hands with a little oil for ease of handling and the shape dough into one long baguette. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake on in the oven for 1 1/2-2 hours. It should sound hollow when you tap on the bottom. Allow to cool completely before slicing as it will continue cooking a bit.
For the tomato butter
- Toss the cherry tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt in a glass baking dish. Bake at 350ºF for one hour, or until they have released liquid and begun to caramelize (I like to roast these as the bread is baking). Remove from oven, add the butter and paprika and blend with an immersion blender.
For the mushroom skulls
- Halve the mushrooms and carve faces into them. Use a straw or small circle cutter to punch eyes from the main top of the mushroom half. Using a sharp knife, cut a small triangle for a nose. Finally, scrape down the base of the mushroom with the knife to form the teeth.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and when hot, add the butter. When the foaming subsides, add the garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, shallots, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring gently and occasionally until the mushrooms take on some golden color and the shallots are soft, about 10-15 minutes. Add the sherry and cook until little to no liquid remains. Off heat, stir in a bit of vinegar and season to taste with salt. Sprinkle with parsley and mix.
To assemble
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Slice bread into 12 slices (you will only use half of it) and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and bake at 350ºF for 10-20 minutes, or until crisp. Set aside to cool.
- Spread a tablespoon of the tomato butter over the bread. Top with few mushrooms and garnish with more fresh herbs, if desired.
Notes
Protein:Energy Ratio: 0.25
Nutrition
Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 604mg | Potassium: 299mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 624IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1mg