- Hey, guys.
I'm back this week with an easy appetizer for you.
We are now in full swing of holiday parties,
and if you are looking for an easy appetizer
to feed a crowd this is it.
It's my trio of baked brie.
It's something that my parents
used to make a lot in the 70's,
and I think it deserves a comeback.
You're going to start by buying three wheels of brie,
usually around 4 1/2 to five inches will do the trick.
Then you want to unwrap your brie
and take any of the packaging off it.
Sometimes brie will have little stickers
that you think are part of the cheese
but they're actually not,
so make sure you scrape all those off.
Then you're gonna get some puff pastry.
If you can find the puff pastry that comes all in one sheet,
that's really the best one to use.
Sometimes you'll find puff pastry that's folded in thirds,
and when you unfold it, it then has a crease
and can kind of split apart on you,
especially for something like this.
Try to find the one that comes in sheets.
I just buy the puff pastry at Trader Joe's,
and it works just perfectly.
Brie is one of those cheeses that pairs really well
with things that are sweet.
We're gonna use three different toppings
for our baked brie.
We're gonna use some fig jam,
some apricot jam,
and some walnuts and honey.
You're gonna take your first wheel of brie
and top it with some fig jam.
Then flip it over and then create
kind of like a little package
wrapping up the brie with the puff pastry.
You're gonna flip it over and set it on a cookie sheet
that's been lined with parchment paper.
Then the next wheel of brie
you're gonna do the same exact thing, too,
but you're gonna add some apricot jam.
I really like to use apricot jam
as opposed to apricot jelly,
because then you get those whole pieces of fruit
which really adds a great texture to your baked brie.
And then the last one is you're gonna take some honey
and then sprinkle it with some chopped walnuts.
(gentle music)
Once all of your brie packages are all set
and lined on your cookie sheet,
you then can create some decorative touches.
Pick your cookie cutter of choice
and cut out some shapes
on an additional sheet of puff pastry.
Take your decorative shape
and place it in the center of each brie package.
Then you're gonna take an egg
and whisk it up just so it's lightly beaten,
and then wash the brie with the egg.
And what that's gonna do is create a beautiful
golden brown hue to your baked brie.
You're gonna bake the brie at 400
for at least 20 to 25 minutes.
Just so that the puff pastry is lightly browned
and puffed up a bit.
Now, here is the most important part of this appetizer.
You cannot dive right into this thing
after it comes out of the oven.
You have to actually let them sit and rest
for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
Otherwise, what will happen is if you cut into that,
all of the brie will ooze out and go everywhere
and create a big mess.
So not to worry, it will still be warm
and it will still be delicious,
but these are really meant to be served
just at room temperature.
And then to serve,
I like to take my little trio and put it out on a platter
and decorate it with some fresh grapes.
Not only does it look pretty,
but it's also a great thing for guests to snack on
after they've had the brie.
The brie is rich.
It's got the sweetness of the jam.
It's definitely a wonderful mouthful,
but there is something great about having that
refreshing grape just standing by.
Then I also like to include some raisin bread
that's been lightly toasted.
That way if guests want to take a little wedge of the brie
and spread it on some toast, it's there.
And that's also a wonderful flavor combination
and equally delicious.
So there you have it.
A quick and easy appetizer idea
that's elegant and also pretty affordable.
And the nice thing is it can also feed a pretty big crowd.
(gentle music)