Heavenly Brie Basket Food

HEAVENLY BRIE BASKET

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut a large circle into the bread about 1 inch from the edge and several inches deep. Remove the bread filling and reserve, leaving a basket crust. Fill the basket with the brie, packing it in tightly. Replace bread cover and cover the basket completely with aluminum foil. Bake on middle rack until the cheese is melted through, about 1 hour. 10 minutes before the bread is removed, melt the butter in a chef pan or large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions, brown sugar, and white vinegar and sauté until the liquid evaporates and the onions start to become crispy. Slice the pears thinly just before serving to prevent browning. Cut the basket into quarters or thirds and serve with pears and caramelized onions. Each bite should be layered with the crusty basket, cheese, pears and onions. Serve with a semi-sweet Riesling and a crisp green salad. Pure heaven!

CRANBERRY BRIE SHEET PAN BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda and 2 teaspoons of the salt in a large bowl. Rub 4 tablespoons of the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until completely absorbed. Work the remaining 16 tablespoons butter into the flour mixture until pea-sized bits of butter remain. Use a fork to stir in the buttermilk until the mixture comes together into a shaggy dough. (Don't overmix the dough.)
• Add the Brie, parsley, cranberries, chives and thyme to the bowl and gently mix with lightly floured hands, folding the dough over itself (this is where the flaky layers will form) until the ingredients are just combined.
• Turn the dough out onto the prepared sheet pan and use lightly floured hands to evenly distribute the dough into the pan. Using a paring knife, gently score 24 squares on top of the dough, making sure the knife does not cut through to the bottom of the biscuit. (If baking the biscuits the following day, cover gently with plastic wrap at this point and refrigerate up to 24 hours.)
• Brush the top of the dough with more buttermilk. Bake until the biscuit top is lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then use a paring knife to follow the score marks to cut through the biscuits.
• Meanwhile, mix the honey with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Drizzle the honey over the warm biscuits. Serve the biscuits warm or at room temperature with more butter, if desired.