Okay, so maybe your diet typically consists of freezer pizzas and Chipotle bowls. The most cooking skills you’ve acquired since leaving the nest is putting together some pasta with store-bought sauce. You assure your family that you’re eating right, and that most of your cash isn’t going to beer and tacos, but they remain skeptical. Well, my friends, this holiday season you can make your family proud without any real cooking skill at all and I’m going to show you how with this baked Brie appetizer.
Nothing impresses more than a glorious display of gooey, slow moving French cheese flowing out of a flaky, soft crust. Drizzled with honey and covered with walnuts and rosemary, this baked Brie shows your finesse and understanding of adulthood. Choose your jam based on your mother’s favorite and you’ll be sure to completely mislead your parents into thinking you truly do have your life together out on your own.
The best part is how simple this recipe really is, despite a grand appearance. This entire recipe can be done with minimal preparation and all the ingredients are store-bought. Of course, quality matters with any dish so a small tip: if your parents offer to buy your ingredients, do it. You might be able to select a finer cheese and artisanal jam this way without breaking your bank. If this isn’t an option, don’t fret—melted cheese is always a winner, at any cost.
Baked Brie with Jam, Honey, Walnuts, and Rosemary
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with oil.
Defrost puff pastry for at least 20 minutes if necessary and unfold.
Roll out the dough until it’s large enough to fold over the wheel of cheese.
Carefully slice the top rind off the cheese. The rind is edible, but this allows the dough to hold better.
Spread your jam of choice over the top of the Brie in a nice even layer.
Place the Brie in the center of the rolled out puff pastry and gather up the edges of the dough over the Brie cheese. If you have some excess, just twirl the dough in the middle and cut off any remaining dough. If your wheel turned out to be just a bit too big and you don’t have enough dough, that’s okay too. Pull the dough towards the center as much as you can but leave some of the middle exposed and go with a rustic approach when displaying.
Remove any excess dough by cutting with knife or kitchen scissors.
Combine melted butter and beaten egg. Brush over the top and side of the pastry-wrapped Brie. This will give it a shiny, golden brown appearance when it bakes.
Place the wheel on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
Once removed from the oven, place brie wheel on your desired display piece.
Place the chopped walnuts in the center along with the chopped rosemary with a pinch of salt. Then, drizzle honey over the pastry.
I know it’s incredibly tempting to just cut that thing open and eat it all for yourself but patience is a virtue and you’re here to prove your family a point. Let it cool for 10 Minutes. Once ready, serve with crackers.
When you walk over to the table, make sure to announce your dish loud and proud. Use fancy words—instead of baked Brie appetizer, say, “Here we have a French Brie en Croute, a wheel of triple cream French Brie and (insert jam flavor) artisanal jam wrapped in a flaky pastry crust drizzled with wild raw honey with walnuts and from-the-garden rosemary.”
Watch your parents as they look at each other, beaming with pride over your success. Slice into the crust and watch as melted cheese cascades out onto the plate. Thank everyone as they compliment you. When your grandmother asks how you made such a beautiful thing, just smile and say you’ve been spending a lot of your free time in the kitchen.
The best part is there’s all the variations you can do with this baked Brie appetizer. Opt for almonds, pecans, or pistachios instead of walnuts. Swap the jam for an apple compote and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar for an extravagant dessert. Or instead of putting your jam inside, top the baked brie with fruit chutney. The options are endless.