I soon learned that the rind is not only edible but it can be a delicious component to the brie experience! It's functional as well, as it tends to hold the whole thing together when heated ... Brie is the easiest and in my opinion, one of the most impressive appetizers to bring to a party or serve at your own. There are several ways to serve it that I will give you recipes for.
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| Naked Brie |
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| Jalapeno Pepper Jelly on Top of Brie |
Covered - So many ideas here! You can go simple with a sauce poured over the top. Heated or not. Sometimes I just heat the sauce. If you really want to infuse the flavor of the sauce, cut the wheel of brie in half horizontally and put one half of brie on platter, pour sauce over that piece, top with second half, then add more sauce to the top. Favorite Sauces from The Pampered Chef: Raspberry Habanero and Spicy Pineapple Rum Sauce. Another idea for this one is to chop fruit and or nuts and layer. My two favorite ways to serve this is either in a small round covered baking dish OR I also love to take my baking stone, slice bread brushed with olive oil and circle it around the brie so that when it OOZES it gets trapped by the bread!
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| Bread Traps the Oozy Brie |
Wrapped - I have seen crescent roll used or puff pastry. In this situation you would wrap it like a present and then bake in the oven. Delicious served with apple or pear wedges. See Picture and Recipe below.
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| Fillo or Phyllo Shells |
So for all of you that prefer actual recipes with real amounts and measurements this sections is for you...
Covered
Tangy Pepper-Pecan Brie
Ingredients:
1/2 cup pecan halves
1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed and seeded **
1/4 cup apricot preserves **
1 - 4-inch round (8 ounces) Brie cheese with rind, room temperature
1 loaf (16 ounces) French baguette Vegetable oil
**If you want, instead you can skip the jalapeno and apricot and instead use a Jalapeno pepper jelly.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coarsely chop pecans using Chef's Knife. Chop jalapeño using Food Chopper. In Small Batter Bowl, combine jalapeño and preserves; mix well using Skinny Scraper.
2. Cut Brie in half horizontally using Utility Knife. Place one half of Brie, cut side up, onto center of Large Round Stone with Handles. Spread half of the apricot mixture evenly over bottom half of Brie using Small Spreader. Top with half of the pecans and remaining half of Brie, cut side up. Spread remaining apricot mixture over Brie; sprinkle with remaining pecans.
3. Using Bread Knife, cut baguette on a bias into twenty-four 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange baguette slices around Brie; spray with oil using Kitchen Spritzer.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until baguette slices are golden brown and Brie begins to soften. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve using Bamboo Spreader. Yield: 12 servings Nutrients per serving: Calories 230, Total Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrate 38 g, Protein 6 g, Sodium 400 mg, Fiber 2 g
Cook's Tips: Wear plastic gloves when working with jalapeño peppers. The juice from the peppers can create a burning sensation on the skin. For a simple garnish, slice a jalapeño pepper in half lengthwise using Petite Paring Knife. Brush cut surface with apricot jam. Place next to Brie before baking. This recipe can also be prepared on the Large Bar Pan, if desired. Camembert cheese can be substituted for the Brie, if desired.
Variations: Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Brie: Substitute 2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, patted dry and chopped for the apricot preserves. Substitute 1 tablespoon prepared basil pesto for the jalapeño pepper and 1/4 cup pine nuts for the pecans. Proceed as recipe directs.
(C)The Pampered Chef, Ltd
Baked Brie with Apples & Cranberries
Prep time: 15 minutes
1/2 cup chopped apple (½ medium apple)
1/4 cup sliced natural almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon Pantry Korintje Cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1 round (8 ounces) Brie cheese (about 4 inches in diameter)
Crackers or cocktail bread slices
Preheat oven to 350° F. Coarsely chop apple with food chopper. Combine apple, almonds, cranberries, brown sugar and cinnamon in small batter bowl; mix gently. Stir in butter just until ingredients are moistened. Cut Brie in half horizontally using utility knife. Place one half of Brie, rind side down, on small bar pan. Spoon half of the apple mixture onto bottom half of Brie, spreading evenly. Top with remaining half of Brie, rind side up. Spoon remaining apple mixture over top. Bake 12-15 minutes or until cheese is soft and just begins to melt. Serve with assorted crackers or cocktail bread slices.
(C)The Pampered Chef, Ltd
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| Apple Pie Brie |
1 can Apple Pie Filling
1 x 4 in wheel of brie (8oz)
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Cinnamon, just a dash
Toast points, bagel chips or crackers
Cut wheel of brie in half horizontally. Using small covered round dish, like a cocotte, place bottom half of brie, cut side up, in dish. Top with half of the pie filling (if using a small can) if you have a large can, a dollop is enough. Then finish by placing the last half on top. Repeat with another dollop. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and cook covered in microwave for 2-3 minutes. Open lid, and sprinkle with dash of cinnamon. Cinnamon toast cut in quarters is a nice option, but any cracker or spoon will do.
Chunked
Honey-Apple Brie Bites
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| Honey-Apple Brie Bites |
1 lemon
1 cup (250 mL) toasted walnuts
2 medium red baking apples such as Jonathan (2 cups/500 mL finely diced)
1/4 cup (50 mL) honey
1 4-in. (10-cm) round (8 oz/250 g) Brie or Camembert cheese
2 pkg (1.9 oz/53.86 g each) prepared mini phyllo shells (30 shells total)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Zest lemon using Microplane(R) Adjustable Grater to measure 1 tsp (5 mL) zest. Coarsely chop walnuts using Food Chopper. Finely dice apple using Santoku Knife. Combine zest, walnuts, apple and honey in Classic Batter Bowl; mix gently.
2. Cut Brie into thirty 1/2-in. (1-cm) cubes using Utility Knife. Arrange phyllo cups on Large Sheet Pan. Place one Brie cube into each cup. Using Small Scoop, top Brie with a level scoop of apple mixture. Bake 6-8 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Yield: 30 servings Nutrients per serving: (1 appetizer): Calories 60, Total Fat 3.5 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrate 6 g, Protein 1 g, Sodium 15 mg, Fiber 0 g U.S. Diabetic exchanges per serving (1 appetizer): ½ starch, ½ fat (½ carb)
Cook's Tips: To finely dice apple, slice off one side of apple, avoiding core. Thinly slice apple lengthwise; cut slices into thin strips. Finely dice strips. (C)The Pampered Chef, Ltd
Wrapped
Crescent-Wrapped Brie by Pillsbury
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
1 round (8 oz) Brie cheese
1 egg, beaten
Heat oven to 350°F. If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate crosswise into 2 sections. Pat dough and firmly press perforations to seal, forming 2 squares. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut crosswise into 2 rectangles. Pat dough to form 2 squares. Place 1 square on ungreased cookie sheet.
Place cheese on center of dough. With small cookie or canapé cutter (creative cutter) cut 1 shape from each corner of remaining square; set cutouts aside. Place remaining square on top of cheese round. Press dough evenly around cheese; fold bottom edges over top edges. Gently stretch dough evenly around cheese; press to seal completely. Brush with beaten egg. Top with cutouts; brush with additional beaten egg. Bake 20 to 24 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Serve warm.
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| Pillsbury Crescent Wrapped Brie |
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