Cranberry Topped Brie Food

BAKED STUFFED BRIE WITH CRANBERRIES & WALNUTS

Steps:

• Score the side of a wheel of brie all the way around with a sharp paring knife. Cut directly on the "equator" through the rind. Using a long piece of string or dental floss, wrap the string around the brie on the newly made cut. Loop one end of the string over the other (a half knot). Then pulling the ends of the string in opposite directions, cut the brie in half.
• Press the dried cranberries on one cut side of the brie, and the walnuts on the other. Quickly put the 2 sides back together with the cranberries on top of the walnuts. Press together and stuff back in any cranberries or walnuts that fell out.
• Roll out a thawed sheet of puff pastry on a floured surface to about 1/8-inch thickness. Place brie in center of pastry. Gently pull up edges to ensure you have enough dough to entirely wrap the brie. You can trim off the corners if there is too much dough. Brush the dough with the egg wash. Fold one edge of the dough over the brie and then the opposite side. Fold over the remaining edges and complexly encase the brie. You can trim off excess pieces of dough, if necessary. Flip the brie over so the seam is at the bottom; gently press in the sides to snug the dough against the brie. Brush the top and sides of the wrapped brie with egg wash.
• If you choose to decorate the brie with cut-out shapes of additional puff pastry, use very cold (almost still frozen) dough to ensure sharp lines. Lightly brush the decorative pieces with egg wash. Place the brie in the freezer for one hour (this is a crucial step; see note below).
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the brie on the prepared baking sheet. Bake on the center rack in preheated oven until it is browned and leaking cheese, about 20 minutes. (Only rarely does the brie not leak through, but 20 to 25 minutes is about how long it takes to melt the cheese and brown the pastry.)

BAKED BRIE WITH CRANBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Peel or slice off the top rind of the brie and scrape out a small amount of cheese to form a shallow hollow in the center. Place the cheese in a small baking dish like a pie pan. (If you plan on transferring the cheese to a serving dish after it's baked, line the pie pan with a square of parchment paper.).
• Mix the cranberry sauce, brown sugar, vanilla, zest, and nutmeg. Top the brie with this cranberry mixture and sprinkle the hazelnuts (optional) over it.
• Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling and the cheese is gooey. This is a delicate process, and baking time can vary. The goal is to take the cheese out after it has softened, but just before it collapses into a heap.
• If desired, lift the parchment paper and use a spatula to carefully slide the cheese onto a prettier serving dish. Garnish with a rosemary sprig (optional) and serve immediately with assorted crackers.

CRANBERRY BRIE BITES

Steps:

• Place Brie cheese in the freezer for 20 minutes. Oil a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
• Roll 1 puff pastry sheet out into a 10x14-inch rectangle. Cut the sheet lengthwise into 4 even strips and crosswise into 6 even strips; there should be 24 squares. Separate and press them gently into the muffin cups.
• Cut chilled Brie cheese into 24 pieces approximately 3/4-inch in size. Add 1 teaspoon cranberry sauce to each pastry-lined muffin cup; press in 1 piece of Brie and top with 1 teaspoon of chopped walnuts. Sprinkle bites with sea salt. Chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bake bites in the preheated oven until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.

BAKED BRIE WITH CRANBERRY-PECAN-BACON CRUMBLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lay the bacon in a large skillet, then cook over medium heat until golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Drain the bacon on paper towels, let cool, then finely chop.
• Combine the bacon, pecans, cranberries, apricots, rosemary, vinegar, pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl.
• Remove the Brie from its packaging. Cut off the top rind of the round of Brie, leaving a 1/4-inch border around the edges (use a sharp knife and go in from above at a slight angle). Discard the rind you have removed. Put the Brie in a small baking dish. Top with some of the cranberry-pecan-bacon crumble, and scatter the rest around the Brie. Cover the dish with foil, and bake until the cheese is warm and gooey, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Serve with bread, crackers and apple and/or pear slices for dipping.

CRANBERRY-TOPPED BRIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Place cheese on cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until softened.
• Spoon cranberry sauce over cheese; sprinkle with almonds. Bake about 5 minutes longer or until sauce is heated. Serve with crackers.

CRANBERRY ORANGE BRIE

Steps:

• Combine Cranberry sauce, brown sugar, orange extract and nutmeg.
• Peel (or scrape) off top rind of a round 8 oz brie, leaving a 1/4" rim.
• Top with cranberry mixture.
• Sprinkle with pecans.
• Bake in 500 degree oven 5 minutes.
• I like to serve this with plain water crackers, such as made by Carr.