Brie With Strawberries And Herbs In Puffed Pastry Food

BAKED BRIE IN PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Unfold pastry sheet on lightly floured surface; roll out with rolling pin until slightly softened and flattened.
• Brush top and side of cheese wheel with mustard; sprinkle with cranberries and nuts. Place, cranberry side down, on center of pastry sheet. Gently fold pastry around cheese to completely enclose cheese, trimming excess pastry if necessary and pressing edges of pastry together to seal. Reserve any pastry trimmings for later use.
• Place cheese, seam sides down, on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Use sharp knife to cut desired decorative shapes from pastry trimmings; arrange on top of pastry-covered cheese. Brush with egg.
• Bake 20 to 25 min. or until golden brown. Cool 10 min. before serving.

BRIE WITH STRAWBERRIES AND HERBS IN PUFFED PASTRY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a small bowl, combine jam, strawberries, and chopped rosemary.
• On a work surface, roll out puff pastry slightly into a 12-inch square.
• Put cheese (do not cut off rind) in center of puff pastry.
• Spread jam mixture over top of Brie.
• Fold puff pastry over Brie; wet edges and press to seal.
• Brush pastry with beaten egg.
• Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
• Cool for 10 minutes.
• Carefully transfer to a cheese board or platter and drizzle with Grand Marnier. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and grape clusters around the edges.
• Serve warm, with crusty baguette slices or crackers and a nice bottle of wine or champagne!

PASTRY-WRAPPED BRIE

Steps:

• Roll out 1 sheet puff pastry into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Trim into a circle and place an 8-ounce wheel of brie in the center. Brush the pastry with egg wash; fold into the center over the brie, pressing to seal. Press a smaller round of puff pastry on top, then brush all over with more egg wash. Bake at 400 degrees F until golden, 25 minutes.
• Photography by Alison Gootee

BRIE-FILLED PUFF PASTY WITH BALSAMIC AND BLACK PEPPER STRAWBERRIES

Steps:

• For the strawberries: Put the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and cook until reduced by 2/3, about 30 minutes. Season with the pepper and some salt. Transfer to a small bowl and cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
• For the puff pastry: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut four hearts from the puff pastry with the cookie cutter. Put 2 of the hearts on a baking sheet. Divide the Brie slices between the hearts on the baking sheet, leaving a small border.
• Mix the egg white with a splash of water and brush some around the edges of the filled hearts. Top them with the remaining 2 hearts and press the edges to seal. Brush the tops with egg wash, use a small paring knife to cut vents, and sprinkle with some coarse sea salt. Bake until puffy and golden, about 15 minutes.
• To serve: When the puff pastry comes out of oven, toss the strawberries in the balsamic mixture and serve them on the side.

HERBED BRIE IN PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix together parsley, garlic, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and salami. Slice the Brie in half crosswise, so you have two wheels. Spread the salami and herb mixture on one of the cut sides and top with the other half of the Brie wheel. Place the Brie in the center of the sheet of puff pastry. Fold the puff pastry up and over the Brie, pressing to secure the pastry together using a little bit of water if necessary. Brush the pastry with beaten egg.
• Bake the pastry in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.