Brie is a soft cheese produced in the French region called the Seine and Marne. You can heat it and serve it as an appetizer or bake it in the oven wrapped in a casket of puff pastry to amaze your guests. With its strong taste, brie goes well with fresh or dried fruit and jams. This article will tell you how to serve it hot, on its own or as a crust.
Ingrediants
Hot Brie
- A form of brie of about 250 g
- 2-3 tablespoons of honey
- Nuts, dried cranberries, rosemary or thyme (optional)
Crust Brie
- 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry (already defrosted)
- A form of brie of about 250 g
- 2-3 tablespoons of honey
- Nuts, dried cranberries, rosemary or thyme (optional)
Egg for Browning (optional)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon of water
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Heat the Brie in the Oven
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 175 ° C
Open the oven and make sure the main shelf is positioned in the middle. Close the door, turn on the oven and set the temperature to 175 ° C. It will take 5-10 minutes for the oven to reach the correct temperature.
Step 2. Prepare the pan
Take a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. If you don't have a metal pan, you can use a glass or ceramic dish that can withstand high temperatures. Either way, make sure it's large enough to accommodate the whole form of brie.
Step 3. Choose a soft type of brie
Buy a young, slightly seasoned brie or check the label for "creamy" or "double cream". Avoid spreadable or "triple cream" brie, otherwise it will melt. If the cheese is wrapped in paper or plastic, discard it and throw the wrapper away. Do not remove the white rind from the cheese instead.
Usually, the brie is left to soften in the oven and spread in small pieces on the crackers with the knife. If you want to dip the crackers directly into the melted cheese, remove the white crust from the top of the form before putting it in the oven. Leave the crust on the sides and bottom intact to serve as a container for the cheese when it has softened
Step 4. Pour the honey over the cheese
You will need 2 or 3 tablespoons. Use clear, liquid honey. If you want, you can cut the cheese in half horizontally to make two thin discs. At that point, spread the honey (and other desired ingredients) on the lower disc, then put the other half of the form on top, as if you were making a sandwich.
If you prefer, you can use jam, such as fig jam, instead of honey. You can also use maple or agave syrup
Step 5. Consider adding other ingredients
If you want to make the brie even more inviting and tasty, you can garnish it with other toppings. If you have cut the shape in half, you can insert the selected ingredients between the two parts along with the honey. Spread the honey on the cheese first and then add the ingredients of your choice. Here is a list of suggestions and possible combinations:
- A couple of sprigs of fresh thyme and a handful of chopped walnuts;
- A couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary and a handful of chopped walnuts;
- A couple of sprigs of fresh thyme added before putting the brie in the oven and some quartered figs added at the end on the hot cheese.
- If you're using maple syrup as a substitute for honey, add a sprinkle of brown sugar, a handful of chopped pecans, and some dehydrated cranberries as well.
Step 6. Heat the brie in the oven
Put it in the pan and put it in the oven. Let it heat for 10-12 minutes or until it feels soft and creamy to the touch.
Step 7. Let it cool for about 5 minutes, then serve immediately
For best results, let the brie cool for a few minutes, then bring it to the table immediately. If you only garnished it with honey, you can also add other ingredients to taste that don't need to be heated. More traditional choices include jam, but also fresh herbs such as thyme or rosemary, chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, and cranberries that can be added to the cheese even after it has been heated. You can accompany the brie with crackers or bread. For more ideas, refer to the section of the article dedicated to how to serve brie.
Part 2 of 3: Prepare the Brie Crust
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 190 ° C
Make sure the main shelf is placed in the middle. If not, move it before turning on the oven. It will take 5-10 minutes for it to reach the required temperature.
Step 2. Prepare the pan
Take a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. If you don't have a metal pan, you can use a glass or ceramic dish that can withstand high temperatures and is large enough to accommodate the whole form of brie.
Step 3. Choose a soft type of brie
Buy a young, slightly seasoned brie or check the label for "creamy" or "double cream". Avoid spreadable or "triple cream" brie, otherwise it will melt. If the cheese is wrapped in paper or plastic, discard it and throw the wrapper away. Do not remove the white rind from the cheese instead.
Step 4. Roll out the puff pastry
Dust the work surface with flour before placing the puff pastry on top. Lightly flour the sheet of dough and roll it out with a rolling pin. It should be approximately 3-5 cm wider than its original size.
If the puff pastry is frozen, you must allow it to thaw completely before using it. Wait at least 15-20 minutes after taking it out of the freezer or it will break when you try to fold it
Step 5. Place the brie in the center of the puff pastry
The disc of dough will be larger than the piece of cheese, so you will need to trim it lightly with the knife. However, be careful not to remove too much of the dough, otherwise you will have to pull it to wrap the brie and risk it breaking.
You can store the scraps of dough to create decorations. If you want, you can use mini cookie molds to create molds with which to decorate the puff pastry casket
Step 6. Prepare the filling and spread it over the brie
Choose the ingredients with which to season the cheese and spread them on the upper side starting from the center, stopping a couple of centimeters before the edge to prevent them from straining and moistening the puff pastry. You can use the ingredients of your choice based on the following ideas:
- If you love sweet flavors, you can use jam (raspberry jam goes very well with brie), brown sugar and 50 ml of maple syrup;
- If you want to combine sweet and savory, use 2 tablespoons of chopped pecans, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of honey and 30 g of dehydrated cranberries.
- If you want to stuff the brie in the middle, cut it in half to make two discs, then sink some sliced red grapes into the lower half. Chop a teaspoon of thyme and half a teaspoon of rosemary and spread them over the grapes, then place the top half on top of the bottom half. Now place the brie shape on the puff pastry.
- Another option is to cut the shape in half and spread a type of jam of your choice on the bottom disc before reassembling the brie. After reassembling the shape, place it in the center of the puff pastry.
Step 7. Brush the puff pastry with the egg
Break the egg into a bowl, add a tablespoon (15ml) of water, then beat it with a fork. Spread the beaten egg over the puff pastry using a pastry brush. The egg will act as a "glue" when you fold the sheet of pasta over the cheese. Apply only a thin layer to prevent the puff pastry from getting wet.
Step 8. Cover the brie with the puff pastry
Fold the edges of the sheet of dough towards the center to wrap the cheese in a kind of casket. You can overlap the edges as if you were wrapping a gift or join and twist them as if you were wrapping a candy. If necessary, use kitchen twine to create a bow and seal the casket.
- If the sheet of dough is not wide enough to wrap the cheese, use the cutouts as a patch. Do not try to fix it by rolling the puff pastry otherwise it will break.
- At this point you should prick the puff pastry with a fork to let the steam escape during cooking.
Step 9. Brush the top side of the chest with the egg
In this way, when cooked, the puff pastry will become shiny and golden. Take the pastry brush and spread a thin layer of it on top of the chest.
Step 10. If desired, decorate the puff pastry box
If there are any scraps of dough left, you can shape them using cookie cutters. You can choose the shapes you want, for example you can make many small leaves that will give an elegant and festive look to your creation. Press them gently on the chest, then brush them with the beaten egg. Always be careful not to overdo the quantities to prevent the puff pastry from becoming moist.
Step 11. Place the casket in the pan and bake it
Let it cook for 15-20 minutes or until it turns golden.
Step 12. When the crusted brie is ready, let it cool for 5-10 minutes before serving
Wait a few minutes to avoid burning yourself, then serve it immediately to enjoy it hot and creamy. Accompany it with toast or crackers and offer it to your guests as an appetizer or aperitif. For more ideas, refer to the section of the article dedicated to how to serve brie.
Part 3 of 3: Serve the Brie
Step 1. If you decide to serve the brie hot, you can consider heating it on its own and adding a cranberry sauce at the end
Put it in the oven as it is, without adding honey, puff pastry or other ingredients and let it heat for 10 minutes. When the time runs out, take it out of the oven and sprinkle it with a cranberry sauce (preferably whole). Return it to the oven for another 5 minutes, then decorate with chopped walnuts and orange zest before serving.
If you prefer, you can use pistachios or pecans
Step 2. Garnish the brie to taste with sweet or savory ingredients
You can pour honey, maple syrup over it and add a handful of dried fruit, for example walnuts, almonds, pistachios or pecans. Among the many options you can also choose to spread over it a jam or a berry sauce.
Step 3. Add a sweet note with grapes, figs or apples
Cut an apple into wedges or thin slices and serve to accompany the hot brie. The ideal is to use a crunchy, sweet and sour apple, which goes perfectly with this type of cheese, but if necessary you can use a different type of apple. You can also cut figs into wedges and arrange them on the hot brie before serving. If you want to add an extra touch of color, you can place a bunch of grapes on the serving dish next to the warm cheese.
Step 4. Pair the hot brie with crackers
The ideal is to choose plain crackers, without the addition of spices, herbs or other flavorings, but feel free to use the ones you prefer. Make sure guests have a knife with which to spread the cheese on the crackers. If, on the other hand, you have decided to remove the crust from the top of the form to be able to dip the crackers directly into the melted cheese, the knife is not needed.
You can also serve brie with bread. Choose a type of bread with a crunchy crust, such as a French baguette, and cut it into thin slices. Don't use bread for toast
Step 5. Serve the brie as an aperitif or appetizer the next time you throw a party
Served hot and creamy, brie is a perfect ingredient to delight guests during the winter holidays, so at your next Christmas or New Year's Eve dinner, consider adding it to your menu.
Step 6. You can wrap the leftover cheese in cling film or parchment paper and store it in the refrigerator for up to several days
Step 7. Reheat the brie if needed
If the brie needs to be reheated, make sure it is at room temperature, place it in a baking dish and cover it with aluminum foil, but don't wrap it around it. Bake the brie and heat it in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 175 ° C or until it is hot enough.
Advice
- Buy only the amount of brie that you are sure you can finish within two weeks to keep it from spoiling. You can buy a slice of brie made from a large shape or a small round shape.
- If the brie has a strong odor reminiscent of ammonia or if it has dark spots, throw it away. Both signs indicate that it has passed the ideal curing period and is going bad.
- If the brie is dry or shriveled, don't eat it. If it is hard to the touch, it means it is not seasoned enough. Unfortunately it will not improve over time, as once cut the curing process stops.
