Baked Brie Orchard Fruit Food

BAKED BRIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the brie on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper and drizzle with the honey. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until it starts to ooze but not melt.
• Serve with crackers.

BAKED BRIE WITH DRIED APRICOTS AND PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Combine the dried apricots, apple juice, vinegar, brown sugar, allspice, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the apricots are plump and all the liquid has been absorbed, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool; stir in the pistachios.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unroll the pie dough on a clean surface; gently roll out the outer 2 inches of the dough to make the edges slightly thinner. Put the brie in the center of the dough and top with the fruit-and-nut mixture. Trim about 1 inch off the edge of the dough, all the way around. Brush the edge with some of the beaten egg. Pull the dough up and over the cheese to meet in the middle, folding and pleating as needed; pinch the dough at the top to seal. Transfer the wrapped cheese to the baking sheet and brush with the remaining beaten egg. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until the cheese is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool at least 20 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve with apple and/or pear slices.

EASY BAKED BRIE

Steps:

• Remove the brie from the refrigerator. Remove any paper wrapping and return the wheel to the bottom part of it's wooden box or place it on a small square of parchment paper (that is slightly larger than the brie wheel itself). Make very shallow slits across the top of the brie, just through the rind layer, every ½-inch to 1-inch, in a criss-cross pattern. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the brie on a small sheet tray. Sprinkle the top with the fresh thyme and rosemary, and drizzle with honey. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until very soft.
• Carefully transfer the brie, in the box or on the sheet of parchment paper, to a serving plate. Serve warm alongside toasted bread, apple slices and/or grapes, for serving.

BAKED BRIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Using a warmed sharp knife, or unflavored dental floss (See Cook's Note 1) cut the wheel of brie in half horizontally and separate the top half of the wheel from the bottom half. Sprinkle the bottom half of the brie with the dried cherries, toasted almonds, and brown sugar. Replace the top half of the brie and apply pressure to secure the stuffing. Working on a well-floured surface, roll out the puff pastry so that it will fully cover the brie. Place the brie in the middle of the puff pastry and fold the excess pastry around the wheel. Put the wheel aside. Roll out another piece of puff pastry and cut out a circle the same circumference as the top of the brie. Save the trimmings for decorations. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg on top of the brie in the puff pastry and place the circle on top. Brush the top of the circle with egg. Cut out decorations using cookie cutters or a small knife on top of the brie. Brush the entire top side of the brie with the egg and place the brie on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the pastry begins to turn golden brown, then turn the temperature down to 325 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes. Serve on a pretty platter. See Cook's Note 2.
• Cook's Note 1: Instead of using a knife to cut the brie, use a piece of unflavored dental floss. Make an initial cut half way down, along the outer side of the brie with a pairing knife. Then, take a long piece of dental floss and wrap it around both hands. Starting at the front of the wheel at the initial cut, work through the wheel with the floss, separating the top half of the wheel from the bottom.
• Cook's Note 2: The brie can be made, wrapped securely and stored in the freezer up to a month ahead of time.