Camembert Almond Balls Food

FESTIVE FILLED BRIOCHE CENTREPIECE WITH BAKED CAMEMBERT

Steps:

• Day before: whisk together the eggs and milk in a jug. Put the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and spice in the bowl of a kitchen mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir to combine.
• On a medium setting, slowly pour in the egg mixture in a steady stream, continuing to stir until incorporated into a very soft, wet dough. Add the butter and increase the speed, kneading for 8-10 minutes. The dough will be ready when it clings around the dough hook. At this stage it will look more like a thick cake batter than bread dough. Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight.
• You can also roast the garlic the day before: heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line a baking sheet with foil. Remove any loose outer skins from the garlic bulbs. With a sharp knife, cut off the stem and uppermost part of the cloves. Place on the foil, drizzle over a little olive oil and season. Bring up the edges of the foil and seal to form a fairly tight parcel. Bake in the top of the oven for 35-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave the parcel sealed until the garlic is cool enough to handle. Remove the cloves by either squeezing the bulb upwards from the base or by teasing them out with a toothpick. Mash the garlic with a fork. Wrap well (to avoid the garlic smell transferring to other foods) and refrigerate.
• On the day: line a baking tray with baking parchment. Remove the cheese from its wooden carton and put the cheese back in the fridge until later. Put the carton in the centre of the lined tray.
• Tip the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Divide into 5 large equal-sized pieces - it can help to roll the dough into an even sausage shape and mark with a knife first to get equal pieces.
• Take one piece and divide into 5 again. One at a time, roll each of these 5 pieces gently into a ball, flour your index finger and make a small, deep indent in the middle. Fill with half a teaspoon of the roasted garlic, pinching the dough over the top to seal and placing the sealed side down onto the floured surface. Cup your hand over the bun and rotate a little to get an even shape. Repeat until you have filled all 5.
• Repeat step 6 using the remaining 4 fillings.
• Arrange the buns around the wooden carton, you'll need 10 for the inner ring and 15 for the outer ring. Leave around 0.5cm between each bun, giving them room to rise. Cover with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place for 30-40 minutes or until nearly doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Remove any plastic wrapping or stickers from the cheese. With a small knife, make an incision in the top rim and remove the top layer of rind. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and place in the carton, cut side up. Brush the buns with the beaten egg and scatter with poppy seeds. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Slide onto a serving platter. Decorate with the herbs and fresh cranberries. Serve the extra cheese alongside if using.

CAMEMBERT ALMOND BALLS

Steps:

• Place whole cheese in bowl, pour wine over it, and let stand at room temperature overnight or for at least 8 hours, turning cheese once or twice. Drain and discard liquid. Press cheese through a coarse sieve or food mill and blend in softened butter. Chill for at least 3 hours. Shape the cheese into about 24 small balls. Roll the balls in ground almonds, and serve them at once with toasted crackers.

ALMOND BALLS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Spread nuts on baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Cool and chop.
• With an electric mixer set at medium low speed, beat butter, sugar, salt and almond extract until creamy.
• On low speed, beat in flour until mixture just comes together.
• Stir in nuts.
• Chill until firm.
• Roll into approximately 1-inch balls.
• Put on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake until golden brown on bottom, 15 to 18 minutes.
• Cool completely on wire racks.
• Chop chocolate, put in a small bowl and melt in a 250°F oven.
• Put coconut in a bowl.
• Drop cookies, one at a time, into chocolate.
• Coat and remove with a fork, letting excess drip off.
• Drop the cookies into coconut.
• Lightly press coconut onto the cookies.
• Set on a rack to dry.

CAMEMBERT AND GARLIC DOUGH BALLS RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• For the dough balls, mix together the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl.
• Make a well in the middle and pour in the water plus 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
• Knead the dough for 7-8 minutes until springy to the touch and a smooth soft dough has formed.
• Wipe a bowl with the remaining olive oil, place the dough inside and cover with cling film.
• Leave to rest for 1 hour.
• On a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, place the lid of the camembert in the middle.
• Roll the dough into balls and dot around the lid to make a wreath-shape.
• Cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
• Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
• Mix the butter, garlic, and parsley together and coat over the dough balls.
• Sprinkle on some salt over the dough balls. Replace the lid with the camembert and sprinkle the rosemary and thyme over the camembert.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• Garnish with the pomegranate seeds and rosemary sprigs.
• Enjoy!