Bake Brie

Brie is a soft French cheese made in the Seine-et-Marne area of France. Brie can be served warm as a simple appetizer. It can also be baked in a puff pastry. The savory flavor of brie also coordinates well with toppings made of sweet sauces, fruits and nuts. This article will show you how to make simple baked brie, and brie baked in a puff pastry, also known as "brie en croute."

Ingredients

Ingredients for Simple Baked Brie[1]

  • 8 ounce wheel of brie
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of honey
  • Nuts, dried cranberries, rosemary, or thyme (optional)

Ingredients for Brie en Croute[2]

  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
  • 8 ounce wheel of brie
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of honey
  • Nuts, dried cranberries, rosemary, or thyme (optional)

Egg Wash (optional)

  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon water

Steps

Making Simple Baked Brie

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Open your oven and make sure that the baking rack is in the middle. Close your oven, turn it on, and set the temperature to 350°F (177°C). It will take 5 to 10 minutes for your oven to reach the right temperature.
  2. Prepare your baking sheet. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of a baking sheet. If you do not have a baking sheet, you can use an oven-safe glass or ceramic dish instead. Make sure that the dish is large enough to fit your brie.
  3. Choose a soft brie and unwrap it. Look for a younger cheese, or for something that says "double cream" on the label; avoid anything that says "triple cream," as it may end up too runny when baked.[1] If your cheese came wrapped in paper or plastic, you will need to remove the wrapper and discard it. Leave the white rind on the cheese.
    • Baked brie is usually eaten by cutting a bit off with a knife and spreading the softened cheese over a cracker. You can make a dip-able baked brie by cutting the top part of the rind off. Leave the sides and bottom of the rind intact; they will hold the cheese together while you bake it.
  4. Pour the honey over the cheese. You will need 2 to 3 tablespoons of honey. Make sure that it is the translucent, runny type. You can also cut the cheese in half, so that you end up with two thin circles. Spread your honey (and other ingredients if you wish) on top of the bottom circle. Then, place the top circle back down on it—just like making a sandwich.
    • Instead of using honey, you can also use maple syrup, agave nectar, fruit jam, or fig spread.
  5. Consider adding some toppings. You can make your brie even more unique and flavorful by adding some toppings. If you cut your brie in half, you can place these toppings in between the two slices with the honey. Place the toppings over the honey. Here are some suggestions and combinations:
    • A few sprigs of fresh thyme and a handful of chopped walnuts.
    • A few sprigs of fresh rosemary and a handful of chopped walnuts.
    • Before you place the brie into the oven, add a few sprigs of thyme. After you take the brie out of the oven, top it with some quartered figs.[3]
    • Substitute the honey for maple syrup instead, then add brown sugar, a handful of chopped pecans, and a handful of dried cranberries.[4]
  6. Bake the brie. Set the cheese on the baking sheet and place it into the oven. Let the cheese bake for 10 to 12 minutes. You will know when the brie is done if the cheese is soft to touch.
  7. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then serve immediately. Baked brie tastes best when it is served warm. If you only used honey on your brie while baking it, you can add some toppings—they just won't be warm. Popular toppings include: fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme, crumbled walnuts or pecans, dried cranberries, or fruit jams. You can serve the baked brie with crackers or bread. For more serving suggestions, refer to the section in this article on serving the brie.

Making Brie en Croute

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Make sure that the baking rack is in the middle. It if isn't, adjust the rack before preheating the oven. It will take 5 to 10 minutes for your oven to reach the required temperature.
  2. Prepare a baking sheet. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of a baking sheet. If you do not have a baking sheet, you can use an oven-safe dish made out of glass or ceramic instead—just make sure that it is large enough to fit the cheese.
  3. Purchase a some brie and unwrap it. Choose a younger cheese, or look for something that says "double cream" on the label; stay away from anything that says "triple cream." If your cheese came wrapped in paper or plastic, remove the wrapper and discard it. Leave the white rind on the cheese.
  4. Roll out the puff pastry. Spread some flour on surface you will be working on before setting down the puff pastry. Lightly dust the surface of the pastry, and roll the pastry out using a rolling pin. You want the pastry to be 1 to 2 inches (2.54 to 5.08 centimeters)[5] larger than it originally was.
    • If your puff pastry is frozen, you will need to thaw it first. This will take 15 to 20 minutes. Do not try to unfold frozen puff pastry, or you may break it.[6]
  5. Place the brie in the middle of the puff pastry. The pastry will be much larger than the brie, so you will have to trim it down with a knife. Leave enough of the pastry so that you can fold it over the brie without stretching it.
    • Consider saving the scraps of left-over puff pastry. You can use mini-cookie cutters to cut shapes out of them, and place them on top of the brie, after you wrap it.[7]
  6. Make and spread the filling on top of the brie. Once you have chosen what sort of filling you want, spread it over the top of the cheese. Do not spread the mixture over the entire surface; stop within ½ inch (1.27 centimeters) of the edge. If you go too far, the mixture may seep out and tear the pastry.[8] Here are some suggestions for the filling.
    • To make a simple, sweet filling, you will need, raspberry jam or other fruit jam, brown sugar and ¼ cup (56.25 milliliters) maple syrup.[9]
    • To make a sweet and savory brie, you will need 2 tablespoons chopped pecans, ¼ cup dried cranberries (30 grams), and 2 tablespoons honey.[2]
    • You can also stuff your brie instead. Slice the brie in half, creating two disks. Press some red, sliced, seedless grapes down onto the cheesy side of the bottom disk. Add 1 teaspoon of fresh, minced thyme, and ½ teaspoon of fresh, minced rosemary on top of the grapes. Put the top disk down onto the grapes and press down lightly, creating a sandwich. Place the brie down onto the pastry sheet.[10]
    • Slice the brie in half, and spread a fruit jam over one of the halves. Put the two halves back together and place them back onto the pastry sheet.
  7. Brush the surface of the pastry with egg wash. In a cup, mix 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water using a fork. Then, apply a thin layer of egg wash to the surface of the pastry sheet with a brush. This will help "glue" the pastry when you fold it over the brie. Do not apply too much egg wash, or you will make the dough soggy.
  8. Cover the brie with the pastry. Fold the edges of the pastry over the top of the brie. You can overlap them and make little pleats, or you can simply gather them together and twist them like a candy wrapper. If you twist the dough, tie it off with a piece of baker's twine.
    • If you accidentally cut too much of the pastry off and don't have enough pastry left to cover the brie, do not stretch it. Instead, use the scraps left over from cutting the pastry to patch up the hole.
    • To help the steam escape during baking, consider poking holes into the top of the pastry using a fork.[7]
  9. Brush the top of the pastry bundle with egg wash. This will help give the pastry some shine. Use a brush and apply a thin layer over the top of the bundle.
  10. Consider decorating the pastry bundle. If you have any leftover pieces of pastry sheet, you can cut small shaped out of it using mini cookie cutters. You can use any shape you want, but leaves will look the most festive. Stick the shapes onto the pastry bundle and lightly brush them with some egg wash.
  11. Place the brie onto a baking sheet and transfer it into the oven. Let it bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pastry turns a golden brown.
  12. Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then serve immediately. Baked brie tastes best when it is served warm. You can serve the brie with crackers or sliced bread as an appetizer. For more serving suggestions, refer to the section in this article on serving the brie.

Serving the Brie

  1. Consider making simple baked brie without anything and adding cranberry sauce at the end. Bake your brie without any honey, toppings, or puff pastry for 10 minutes. Take the brie out and spread some chunky cranberry sauce on top. Bake it for 5 more minutes. Before serving the brie, garnish it with some orange zest and a handful of chopped walnuts.[11]
    • You can also substitute the walnuts with pistachios or chopped up pecans.
  2. Add some savory or sweet toppings. You can drizzle your baked brie with honey or maple syrup, and add toppings such as chopped pecans or walnuts, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, or pistachios. You can even spread some fruit jam or cranberry on top of the brie.
  3. Add a little sweetness with apples, figs, or grapes. Cut an apple into thin slices or wedges, and serve them alongside your baked brie. Sweet, tart, and crunchy apples work best with baked brie, but you can use any apple you likes. You can also cut some figs into wedges and place them on top of the baked brie before serving. For a splash of color, serve the baked brie alongside a bunch of grapes.
  4. Serve the baked brie with crackers. Plain crackers, such as watercress crackers, work the best, but you can also use savory and herbed crackers as well. Consider including a knife, so that the guests can spread the cheese onto the crackers. If you made a dip-able baked brie by cutting the top rind off, you will not need a knife.
    • You can also serve the brie with sliced bread. Choose a bread with a crunchy crust, such as French bread, and cut it into thin slices. Avoid using sliced sandwich breads.
  5. Use the baked brie as an appetizer for your next party. Baked brie makes a perfect, festive appetizer for parties during the cold, wintry months. The next time you plan on hosting (or attending) a Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's Eve dinner, consider preparing some baked brie.
  6. Wrap the leftovers in plastic wrap or wax paper and store in the refrigerator. You can store brie in the refrigerator for several days.
  7. Reheat your baked brie if necessary. If your baked brie needs to be reheated, make sure that it is room temperature first. Place your brie onto a baking sheet and cover it loosely with aluminum foil. Transfer the baking sheet into a preheated oven set to 350°F (177°C). Let it bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until warm.



Tips

  • Avoid brie with a brown discoloration and a strong odor of ammonia. Both are signs of over ripened cheese.
  • Purchase only as much as you will use for 2 weeks to avoid spoiling. The cheese is available in a full wheel of cheese or individual wedges.
  • Avoid brie that is hard or shriveled. Brie that is hard to the touch is under ripe and will not improve with age. Once brie is cut, it will no longer age.

Warnings

  • Let the baked brie cool for a few minutes before serving or eating it. It was be very hot after you take it out of the oven, and you may end up with a burnt tongue.

Things You'll Need

  • Baking sheet and parchment paper
  • Oven

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Will Cook for Friends, Baked Brie with Rosemary, Honey, & Candied Walnuts
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Laura in the Kitchen, Brie en Croute
  3. ↑ Alaska from Scratch, Grilled Brie with Figs, Thyme, and Honey
  4. ↑ Chef in Training, Cranberry Baked Brie
  5. ↑ Food Network, Brie en Croute #2
  6. ↑ Food Network, Brie en Croute
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Laura in the Kitchen, Brie en Croute Recipe
  8. ↑ Martha Stewart, Baked Brie
  9. ↑ Simply Recipes, Baked Brie
  10. ↑ Grapes from California, Baked Brie with Herbed Grapes
  11. ↑ Simple Bites, A Last Minute Appetizer: Baked Brie with Cranberry Sauce and Walnuts

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