Recipe corner! My sister's famous baked brie.
And some ✨personal news✨
Hey there,
We're talking baked brie today, but before that, I’ll come right out with the ✨personal news✨: I’m pregnant! The baby’s due in June, Quentin and I are thrilled, and you’d better believe I’m already on the hunt for a high chair that won’t disrupt my dinner party aesthetics too much. That last part is mostly a joke. Mostly.
I know news related to pregnancies and babies can be sensitive for many people for a whole host of reasons. If it is for you, I’m sending the biggest hugs, and reassurance that we’ll be keeping the rest of today’s newsletter strictly to cheese. If you’d like to hear more about pregnancy and first trimester stuff, I’ll be answering questions and chatting about it over on Instagram stories today.
Okay, phew, that’s enough ✨personal✨ stuff, let’s continue with the final installment of our little series on holiday apps. You can find parts one and two here and here. And while baked brie may not be the most original recipe of the bunch, I knew I had to share my sister’s version with you after Abigail and I taught it in a cooking class and one of our students said, “I’ve had baked brie a few times before and loved it, but I had no idea it was this easy to make!” And she’s right. It’s incredibly easy, but also so crowd-pleasing. So much so that my family practically demands that Julia make it every year, and she always graciously obliges. Let’s get into it:
Julia’s Very Easy and Very Famous (to our family) Baked Brie
Yield: 1 baked cheese round, serves 10-12
Ingredients
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed but still slightly chilled (see note for thawing instructions)
AP flour for rolling, about 2-4 Tbsp
1 8-12 oz. round camembert or brie (5-7“ in diameter)
2 Tbsp jam of choice (we love blackberry or raspberry)
2 Tbsp slivered almonds
1 large egg, beaten
Crackers or bread of choice for serving
Procedure
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet or pie dish with parchment paper and set aside.
Dust your work surface with a small amount of flour. Unwrap the puff pastry and unfold. Dust the top with a bit of additional flour and use a rolling pin to roll into a square, about 12” on all sides.
Transfer the puff pastry to your parchment-lined dish/pan, then place the cheese round in the middle of the puff pastry. Spoon the jam on top of the cheese round and spread evenly over the top. Sprinkle almonds on top of the jam.
Fold the corners of the puff pastry around the brie to form a neat package. If desired, twist the top two corners to create a swirl. Press the seams of the puff pastry package lightly with your fingers to be sure everything holds together. (This part feels stressful, but I promise, this app tastes so good that no one really cares what it looks like. Just do your best to be sure the puff pastry is sealed around the cheese to avoid jam leakage.)
Use a pastry brush to brush the outsides of the pastry package with the beaten egg. Do your best to avoid pooling around the edges. Transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown, around 30-45 minutes.
Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes then set out with a nice sharp cheese knife and your crunchy carb of choice for serving. Julia usually serves with Ritz or another neutral-tasting cracker, but baguette slices are also delicious.
Note: to thaw, pull the puff pastry out of the freezer and store in the fridge overnight. Alternatively, thaw on the counter for 1-2 hours prior to using.
Alright, I should sign off before the temptation to make a series of terrible there-may-be-a-bun-in-my-oven-but-you’d-better-believe-there’s-brie-in-there-too type joke becomes too overwhelming. Eek, I let one slip, definitely time to go.
I’ll be offline next week, so wishing you very happy holidays and of course as always, a well-fed week ahead.
With love and a tip of my chef’s hat,
Erica
Want more? I’m so flattered! You can also follow me on Instagram or TikTok, or check out my tips-laden e-book collection. The newest addition, Meal Prep Made Simple, is available to order now!
Congratulations!!