Baked Brie

Brie is my ultimate favorite appetizer. I love cheese and well, this has long been my favorite cheese. I know you aren't supposed to eat molded cheeses when you are pregnant but I craved it and ate it anyway through both my pregnancies. Some things are hard to give up. So, here I give you not only an incredibly wonderful tasting appetizer but also an impressive presentation of a dish. Oh, and the best part, it's one of the EASIEST appetizers to make!

Brie comes in wheel or a wedge with a thick tough rind around it. Once you break through the rind you get to the creamy soft cheese that is inside it. Brie is very mild and creamy but the rind has a nice kick to it. Some people hate the rind and others love it. Both parts are eaten. The rind softens when heated up.

Melted, brie makes an amazing cheese to dip into. You can melt it on it's own but wrapping it in this pastry dough gives it another rich dimension. Far from healthy, but I had to post about making baked brie. Don't ever, ever, make this on your own. You HAVE to have other people around to eat it with you otherwise you are likely to eat the whole thing.

You can get really creative with baked brie and I'll list a lot of things you can bake with it but first, here's how you do it.

What you need:
one wheel of brie cheese (Costco sells a nice sized one)
1 sheet of pastry dough
filling of your choice
1 beaten egg

Lay out one refrigerated pastry dough sheet.
Slice brie wheel in half to make two wheels.
Place one of the halves on the pastry dough with the rind side down.
Next, put on a layer of your favorite filling (the pictured one has minced fresh garlic and a thick spread of butter.)





Put the top of the wheel down on top with the rind facing up.
Wrap the edges of the pastry dough around the wheel bringing all the points to the center. Pinch them and press them to seal the dough.









Brush with a beaten egg.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min. or until golden and puffy.


Let the baked brie rest 20 min. before cutting and serving.
I recommend putting the baked brie into something with a lip for serving. At least a platter with an edge on it since the melted cheese will run out.

Here is a list of ideas of things you can serve it with to dip with:
wheat thins
multi-grain crackers
butter crackers
sliced baguettes
sliced apples
cubed sourdough bread

Here is a list of ideas of things you can stuff it with:
1/2 cup of pesto
dried chopped cherries and chopped walnuts
dried chopped apricots and sliced almonds
strawberry jam
raspberry jam
pomegranate jelly
pomegranate seeds
caramelized onions with sliced almonds
dried chopped fruit sauteed in 1/2 c of wine and reduced
butter and minced garlic
sliced apples or chopped apples with chopped walnuts
chopped bell peppers
chopped artichoke hearts, butter, and minced garlic
sliced sun-dried tomatoes and olive oil
capers and marinated chopped artichoke hearts
cranberry chutney
olive tapenade

This appetizer also can work well for a light lunch with salad and soup or for a finger food gathering.