In my humble opinion, baked brie is one of the most decadent things you can serve your friends and family. I mean, it’s brie, which is already rich, creamy and oh so delicious, and then you bake it so it’s also warm and melty in your mouth? Not to mention the buttery, flaky pastry along with the tartness of the cherry jam. I’m not sure it gets more sinful than that (well, food-wise anyway).
However, in my opinion, the cherry jam baked within the puff pastry really just makes this dish (the fruit jam/compote/whole is my favorite part of a cheese plate) but then again, I love sweet things – which is pretty much what we’re doing here.
So one things to also mention: I know this looks tough, but it’s really not, I promise. I think that the puff pastry intimidates people, but it’s actually super simple: just keep frozen until about 40 minutes before you want to use it, take it out, put it on the counter, let thaw, then unfold and use. That, plus a wheel of brie, 1/2 cup of cherry, and egg wash (ie a beaten egg) and that’s it! Super simple, decadent, and delicious for a holiday party or anytime party!
Ingredients:
1 8 oz wheel of brie
1/2 cup cherry preserves
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed (found in the frozen aisle)
1 egg, beaten
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (in addition to keeping the tray clean, it will also make it easier to move the brie onto a nicer platter to serve). On a floured work space, roll the thawed puff pastry so that it resembles more of a square than a rectangle.
Place the puff pastry on center the parchment paper on the tray and then place the brie in the middle. Top the brie with the cherry jam. Using a pastry brush, brush the beaten egg onto the puff pastry making an outline of the square. Slowly bring each the side up and to create almost a package look, brushing on the egg as needed to act as glue. Once the pastry is held together, brush the entire bundle with egg which will help crisp up the outside.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and serve with crackers.
Yield: Depending on how much your guests like cheese, approx 8-10.
The Wandering Baker 