Brie en Croûte
After two years living together, David made a comment – “since I met you, I’ve never had so much cheese in my entire life!”. Is it the fact that I’m French or simply because I’m addicted to cheese? The French part won’t help reduce my consumption but truly, I have serious “cheese issues”. I tried many times to break up with cheese but somehow, we always get back together… No wonder friends and family nicknamed me Minnie Mouse, lol!
Yes, David is not exaggerating, we do eat a lot of cheese. Cream cheese on a bagel in the morning or Pumpkin & Spice Cream Cheese Muffins, some cheese melted on a sandwich for lunch, a mid-afternoon snack with apple and cheese or Cranberry Cream Cheese Crisp, a lovely cheese sauce for a protein, etc. Desserts are not excluded; Creamy Cheesecake, Cannoli, Cream Cheese Carrot Cake, Tiramisu, and more.
During the Holidays or any other special occasion, I find it important to serve an appetizer. If we host a soirée, hors d’oeuvres are a must! Either way, I have a ton of “cheese” recipes as you probably guessed like Saganaki Opa, Coquilles St Jacques, Baked Goat Cheese with Almonds, Clam Casino Spread, Duxelles Bruschetta, Sausalito Smoked Salmon Dip, Stuffed Dates with Gorgonzola, and so on. Another one that I like to serve is my Brie en Croûte!
They are many reasons why I like to make it. It’s quick and easy, it’s so delicious plus it’s versatile because it can be served for any occasion. From one event to another, I change my fillings. Another big plus about this recipe is it’s a crowd pleaser… it’s always a hit among my guests!
Brie en Croûte is originally from France and the first time I had it was over at my aunt Huguette’s. She was hosting a dinner during Easter and served it as an appetizer along with other dishes. As a cheese addict, I was all over it. When dinner came, I was stuffed to the gills but very happy for this new addition to my folder.
I like to use double cream for my Brie en Croûte. From there, I cut it in half and spread some of my Fig Balsamic Jam… it gives a nice nuance to it especially during the Holidays. For Easter, I use raspberry or strawberry jam. Another important component to make this recipe simply incredible is the filling. In the video, I use cranberries along with pistachios. The thing is use what you like according to the event.
From there, the wheel is wrapped nicely just like a gift in puff pastry! It’s up to you to decorate the top the way you want to fit the occasion. I never made it for just the two of us because it’s too much but when hosting a dinner or party, this is absolutely perfect…
The big “wow” factor of this appetizer is when the first person slices into it! The creamy cheesy lava flows out and then it takes no time for the Brie en Croûte to be devoured! This is a great recipe to add to your folder…
Bon Appétit!
Check out these other incredible “cheese” appetizer recipes…
– Spanakopita
– Crab Rangoon
– Grilled Jalapeño Poppers
– Sardine Cups
– Pepper Jack Cheese Sticks
– Six Layer Chip Dip
– Beer Cheese Dip
and for even more appetizer recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Appetizers
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Brie en Croûte
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Ingredients
- 1 wheel (550 g) double cream Brie, cold
- 1/4 cup fig balsamic jam, or as needed see Recipe
- 1/4 cup cranberries, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup pistachios, roughly chopped
- 1 large free-range egg
- 1/2 tbsp. milk (substitute water)
- 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, or as needed
- 1 large sheet puff pastry, thawed
Directions
- Slice the cheese in half and spoon jam on each half, spreading it out evenly. Add the cranberries and pistachios on one half only, pressing down gently to stick them on. Place the other half of the cheese on top and set aside.
- In a small bowl, beat egg and milk together; set aside
- Lightly flour the work surface and the rolling pin. Roll puff pastry to make it wider, enough to cover the cheese wheel and also decorate it.
- Place the prepared cheese wheel on the puff pastry and using a pizza cutter, slice a circle around, big enough to cover the sides of the cheese and some on top; keep the remaining dough on the side. Brush the puff pastry surrounding the brie with the egg wash.
- Bring a little piece of puff pastry up before folding another one on top of it and going all the way around creating a wavy pattern; brush the outside with egg wash.
- Place the wheel on the remaining puff pastry and cut a round piece of the same size. Put it on top of the cheese and brush with egg wash. Use a cookie cutter of your choice, cut into the remaining puff pastry and place it on top of the circle; brush with the remaining egg wash.
- Set the brie on a baking dish lined with parchment paper and transfer to a 425ºF preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Turn the broiler on for an extra 5 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve immediately with crostini or crackers.
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