Baked Mediterranean Brie Food

3 MINUTE MELTY FESTIVE BRIE (SPEED BAKED BRIE)

Steps:

• Unwrap brie and place on a small microwave-proof plate with a rim (so maple syrup doesn't go everywhere).
• Microwave on high for 1 minute 15 seconds, or until the brie is very soft when you prod the centre. Watch the brie as you microwave it - if it starts to puff up too much (i.e. risk of bursting), turn microwave off and leave brie inside - residual heat will continue to melt it.
• Top with pecans, pomegranate seeds and maple syrup. Serve immediately with crackers of choice (choose ones suitable for scooping). I serve this with a spoon and/or small pate knife.

SAVORY BAKED BRIE IN PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 F or 204 C.
• Take the puff pastry out of the freezer and out of the external and internal packaging to thaw for about 10 to 30 minutes. Do not leave out longer than 40 minutes at room temperature or it becomes extremely difficult to work with. Alternatively, you can microwave your pre-made frozen puff pastry sheets. Wrap with a towel and microwave for 15 seconds each side to soften. Add an extra 5 seconds as needed to be able to open the puff pastry dough without it cracking.
• Roughly chop your olives (we used kalamata and Spanish green olives), roasted red peppers and artichokes. Drain well and dab with toweling to remove extra moisture. Feel free to add fresh herbs, sun dried tomatoes in oil or anything you desire. (Alternatively, you can put them in the food processor and let them do a quick one second blend to roughly chop.) Add a dash of Sicilian Spice Mix or a mixture of dried Italian herbs (like basil, oregano, thyme and garlic powder) and olive oil and mix. Set aside
• Cut your brie wheel in half horizontally so you have 2 disks.
• Roll out your puff pastry slightly so it is about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. We used one entire sheet of a puff pastry and it was about 12 inches x 12 inches (30 cm x 30 cm) in size. You can trim if you wish. Your goal is to make your puff pastry just big enough to fit around the puff pastry and tie at the top. Set aside.
• Add your Mediterranean salsa to one half of the brie wheel with cheese side up and rind side down. Place the other half of the brie cheese wheel on top of Mediterranean salsa with the cheese side down and the rind side up. (If you do not like rind, please shave off first BEFORE starting this procedure. Then, just add the toppings right on top of the brie wheel instead of cutting in half. )
• Place your puff pasty dough on a lined or greased baking sheet. Lay the Mediterranean stuffed wheel of brie on top of the puff pastry in the middle.
• Brush egg wash along the edges of the puff pastry dough to help seal.
• Take two edges of the puff pastry and close and squeeze. Take the other 2 edges of the puff pasty together and squeeze. Twist the ends to seal well at the top. It does not need to be perfect. As a matter of fact, it is even more artistic if it's a little messy. (Watch the video for a great visual on how to do this)
• Brush the with egg and bake in over for about 20 minutes until the crust in flaky and golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest for about 15 minutes before serving.
• Serve Holiday Mediterranean En Croute with crackers and a glass of bubbly and enjoy.
• If desired, use a fork and gently carve designs in the pastry dough, being careful to not fully penetrate the dough. However, this step is completely optional.
• Brush egg wash all over the exterior of the Savory Baked Brie in Puff Pastry.
• Bake at 400degrees F (204 degrees C) Bake 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. If the decorative top of the pastry dough starts to brown faster than the rest of the brie en croute, put a little aluminum foil over the little section while the rest of the pastry dough gets deliciously golden brown. Sometimes your brie can slightly leak out of the sides, if this happens do not worry. Ours did not but we made sure that our puff pastry was at least 1/8 thick all around.
• Let rest for at least 15 minutes but best to wait 45 minutes if you can hold out.
• Serve with crackers, toasted crostini, fresh seasonal fruits, cured meats, nuts or whatever you desire. Enjoy!

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

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 MEDITERRANEAN BRIE

Steps:

• Thinly slice off the top rind of the Brie.
• Mix together the olives, parsley and garlic and spread over the top.
• Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.
• Let stand for 5 minutes.
• Serve with crackers or raw vegetables.

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.