Brie En Croute With Apricot Food

BAKED BRIE EN CROUTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk egg and water together to make egg wash.
• Roll out puff pastry gently to a 14-inch square. Trim corners with a knife or pizza cutter to make a circle. Spread apricot preserves over the pastry, leaving a 1-inch margin around the edge. Sprinkle cranberries and almonds over the pastry, and place Brie cheese in the center.
• Brush the edges of the pastry with some of the egg wash. Fold top and bottom of pastry over the dough; trim 2 inches off each edge. Fold remaining pastry on top to cover the Brie cheese completely. Press the seams with your fingers to seal. Remove any excess apricot preserves that leaks out.
• Transfer wrapped cheese, seam-side down, to baking sheet. Brush top with egg wash.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let stand before serving, about 30 minutes.

BAKED BRIE IN PUFF PASTRY WITH APRICOT PRESERVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Carefully unfold the thawed sheet of puff pastry dough on a clean, dry surface and gently roll out a bit. It's already thin, so you won't need to roll much - just enough to fix the creases that usually form where the dough has been folded and stretch the edges a bit. If desired, cut out a small shape from one of the corners of the dough to decorate the top of the baked brie later.
• Measure the apricot preserves and spoon them directly into the center of the puff pastry dough, then gently lay the wheel of brie on top of the preserves. There is no need to remove the outer white rind of the brie unless you feel like it. I kind of prefer having the rind so I always leave it.
• Combine the egg and water in a small bowl and whisk with a fork to create an egg wash. Using the egg wash and a pastry brush or just your fingers, brush the edges of the exposed puff pastry, then fold it up around the exposed brie, starting from one corner and working your way around, to create a nicely wrapped little package.
• Flip the wrapped wheel of brie over and lay it seam side down on the parchment lined baking sheet. Top with the decorate piece of puff pastry, if desired, and brush lightly with remaining egg wash.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the puff pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 30 minutes before serving with pears, grapes, apples, crackers or a sliced baguette.

HOLIDAY BRIE EN CROUTE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork.
• Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 14-inch square. Spread the preserves on the pastry to within 2 inches of the edge. Sprinkle with the cranberries and almonds. Place the cheese in the center of the pastry. Fold the pastry up over the cheese to cover. Trim the excess pastry and press to seal. Brush the seam with the egg mixture. Place seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Decorate with the pastry scraps, if desired. Brush with the egg mixture.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Let stand for 45 minutes. Serve with the crackers.

HOLIDAY BRIE EN CROUTE

Steps:

• 1.Heat the oven to 400°F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork. 2.Sprinkle the flour on the work surface. Unfold the pastry sheet on the work surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 14-inch square. Spread the preserves on the pastry to within 2 inches of the edge. Sprinkle with the cranberries and almonds. Place the cheese in the center of the pastry. Fold the pastry up over the cheese to cover. Trim the excess pastry and press to seal. Brush the seam with the egg mixture. Place seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Decorate with the pastry scraps, if desired. Brush with the egg mixture. 3.Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Let stand for 45 minutes. Serve with the crackers. 4.Flavor Variation: For Brie en Croute Provencal, omit the preserves, cranberries and almonds. Stir 1/4 cup diced jarred sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive tapenade and 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts in a small bowl. Spoon the mixture in the center of the pastry sheet. Top with the cheese and proceed as directed above.

PHYLLO-WRAPPED BRIE WITH APRICOT AND ROSEMARY CHUTNEY

Steps:

• To Make Chutney:
• Combine all ingredients except almonds in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until most liquid has evaporated and chutney is thick, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Mix in almonds. Transfer chutney to bowl.
• Chill until cold, about 3 hours. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover, keep chilled.)
• Assembly of cheese and phyllo:
• Brush heavy large baking sheet with butter; set aside. Unroll pastry. Cover with plastic wrap and damp kitchen towel. Transfer 2 stacked phyllo sheets to work surface, arranging 1 short side parallel to edge of work surface. Arrange 2 more stacked phyllo sheets on work surface, overlapping long side of first sheets by about 5 to 7 inches and forming rectangle about 18 by 17 inches. Brush pastry with butter; sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons rosemary over. Place 2 more stacked sheets atop first set of 2 sheets, then 2 more stacked sheets atop second set of 2 sheets. Brush with butter and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons rosemary. Repeat layering 1 more time with phyllo, butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons rosemary. (You will use a total of 12 sheets.)
• Using sharp knife or scissors, trim phyllo corners, forming approximately 17-inch oval. place Brie in center of phyllo. Spread 1 1/2 cups chutney evenly over cheese. Slide hand under 1 rounded corner of phyllo. Lift phyllo and fold onto top of cheese. Brush folded pastry with butter. Continue to lift phyllo in sections and to fold snugly over top of cheese, brushing with butter and pressing each section to adhere until cheese is wrapped (the top center 2 to 3 inches of cheese will not be covered). Use hand and metal spatula to transfer wrapped cheese to prepared baking sheet.
• Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface. Brush with butter. Starting at 1 long side, fold 1 inch of pastry over. Continue folding pastry loosely over itself, forming 1-inch-wide strip of pastry over. Continue folding pastry loosely over itself, forming 1-inch-wide strip of pastry. Roll up strip into coil. Gather bottom edge of coil together, pinching to force top slightly open and forming rose. Place rose atop uncovered center of cheese. Brush with butter. Repeat with 2 more sheets of phyllo, forming 2 more roses. Place atop cheese, covering opening completely. Chill 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic; keep chilled.)
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Bake cheese until pastry is deep golden brown, covering roses loosely with foil if browning too quickly, about 25 minutes. (If cheese leaks from pastry during baking, press piece of foil over tear in pastry; continue baking.)
• Cool cheese on sheet 45 minutes.
• Presentation:
• Using metal spatula, transfer warm cheese to large platter. Arrange herbs, dried fruit, baguette slices and apple slices around cheese. Cut cheese into wedges.

CRESCENT WRAPPED BAKED BRIE WITH APRICOTS, CRANBERRIES & ALM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F Unroll dough, separate crosswise into 2 sections, seal perforations. Place one square on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Cut brie horizontally using a very sharp knife to create 2 equally thick rounds. Place one round (cut side up) in the middle of the pastry square on the cookie sheet.
• In a small bowl, combine apricots, preserves, cranberries and almonds. Spread fruit mixture on the cut center of the brie, top with the other half (cut side down).
• Place the other square of crescent roll dough on top of the cheese round. Press dough evenly around the cheese and fold the bottom edges over the top, to seal. Seal completely.
• Brush with beaten egg.
• Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.

PERFECT-FOR-PARTIES BAKED BRIE IN PUFF PASTRY WITH APRICOT JAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Using a large chef's knife, cut the white rind off the top of the wheel of Brie and discard. Put the disk into the freezer and at the same time pull out the sheet of puff pastry. Allow the puff pastry to thaw until it is pliable but still cold, about 30 minutes.
• Roll the puff pastry to a 14-by-14-inch (35.5-by-35.5-cm) square. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut a 1/2-inch (1.3-cm) wide strip from one edge of the pastry. Transfer the dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon (20 g) of the preserves at the center of the pastry and then the frozen Brie wheel. Top with the apple and cinnamon, then dollop the remaining 2 tablespoons (40 g) of preserves on top. Gather the four corners of the dough, one at a time, across the Brie to enclose it completely. Tie a simple knot with the strip of dough to make a purse.
• Brush the entire top and sides of the purse with the egg wash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If at any point the pastry seems like it's melting or too soft, put it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes before continuing. Make sure the pastry is well chilled before baking.
• Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, turning the baking sheet halfway through, until the pastry is golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 8 to 10 minutes before serving warm.