Cracker Bread With White Bean And Roasted Garlic Purée

By Christy Rost

Cracker Bread with White Bean and Roasted Garlic Puree is a fabulous hors d'oeuvre for the holidays. This no-fuss spread keeps fresh in the fridge for a week, so last-minute holiday parties are a snap!

Ingredients:

2		heads garlic, peeled
¼		cup olive oil
2		19-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
½		teaspoon coarse salt
¼		teaspoon white pepper
3		tablespoons capers, rinsed, or chopped black olives
		assorted cracker breads

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place peeled garlic in a small heat-proof bowl and add olive oil. Roast the garlic in a preheated oven 30 minutes or until it is soft. Remove it from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

Purée cannellini beans in the bowl of a food processor. Add roasted garlic, the garlic-infused olive oil, salt, and white pepper; purée until the mixture is smooth.

Spoon the mixture into a 2 ½-cup soufflé dish. To garnish, spoon capers or chopped black olives around the edge of the bean purée. Serve with assorted cracker breads.

Recipe makes approximately 2 ½ cups purée.