12/13

Molly’s Holiday Treats: Baked Brie

I am a lover of all things cheese. And one of my fav, fav, fav cheeses is brie. With the holidays upon us, I started thinking about holiday parties and potlucks and what type of food I’d like to bring. I was trying to think of something that would be easy but sophisticated, and not too traditional. Well this recipe, my friends, is the PERFECT go to: baked brie. YUM. Not only is this recipe so, so, so simple, but it looks super rustic and homemade. It’s perfect for a cocktail party served with your favorite crackers for dipping. I’m OB-sessed with Lesley Stowe cranberry and hazelnut crackers, but if you feel there’s enough bread with the crust, it would be so, so, so good with sliced apples. And as if the brie baked in a flaky crust wasn’t enough, it’s drizzled with brown sugar and maple syrup. It’s the perfect cozy, heart-warming dish for this time of year. The best part was that Brooksie love, love, loved it. He liked it so much that he tried to feed it to my hubby. I was DY-ing. I’m so glad I tried this recipe. It’ll definitely be a new staple for the holidays.

Ingredients:

• 1 large sheet of puff pastry dough or 1 tube of refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
• 1 round or wedge of Brie cheese (do not remove rind)
• Raspberry Jam, or other sweet jam
• Brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup

Cooking Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. If you want, start with chilled brie and use a sharp knife to carefully cut off the thin top rind of the cheese. This may help the crust stay with the cheese when served. The rind is edible so you don’t have to do this step if you don’t want to. On a stick-free cookie sheet, lay out the puff pastry or the crescent rolls flat; put the brie round or wedge on top. Spread jam on brie, fold dough over top, cutting off excess dough. Drizzle maple syrup and place a handful of brown sugar on top. Bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes, pastry should be golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. This specific baked Brie used raspberry jam, but there are tons of other delish ways to do it. Here are some other recipes that are AH-mazing.

Ingredients

• 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
• 1 round (8 oz) Brie cheese
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• Sliced apples, crackers or pita bread, if desired
• Additional honey for drizzling, if desired

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper, or spray with cooking spray. Unroll dough; cut crosswise into 2 sections. Press dough to form 2 squares. Cut corners off both dough squares; reserve for cutouts. Place 1 dough round on cookie sheet. Place cheese round in center of dough round on cookie sheet. Spread honey over top of cheese. In small bowl, mix walnuts, cinnamon, cloves and sugar. Sprinkle over honey. Bring dough up all around side of cheese, pressing and pinching dough. Place remaining dough round on top of cheese. Press dough evenly around side of cheese, pinching bottom edge to seal. With canapé cutters or knife, cut shapes from reserved corners of dough. Top cheese-wrapped dough with cutouts to create design. Bake 15 to 25 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan and place on serving platter. Serve with remaining ingredients as desired.

Ingredients

• 1/4 wheel brie
• 4 tablespoons honey

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the brie on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper and drizzle with the honey. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until it starts to ooze but not melt.