Baked Brie en Croute? Oui, S’il Vous Plait!
An entire round of creamy, savory brie cheese oozing out of a golden, buttery crust—what could possibly be better? Invite your guests in from the cold, and warm them up with this hearty, hot appetizer. Hand them a warm, brie-slathered cracker for one hand and a goblet of mulled wine for the other, and the only problem you’ll have is convincing them to leave at the end of the night.
All of Your Burning (Or Should We Say Baking?) Brie Questions, Answered.
- What is brie cheese? You know what brie is, right? Well we at least bet you’ve eaten it! But you maybe don’t KNOW know exactly what it is. It’s that white squishy cheese with the gooey middle that everyone likes to eat. But what IS brie really? To get super technical about it, to be called “brie” a cheese must be a mold-ripened cheese hailing from around the city of Meaux in France. However, the word “brie” is often used in the U.S. colloquially to refer to a general categories of soft-ripened, bloomy rinded cheeses that are made from cow’s milk and have a creamy, relatively mild, milky flavor.
- How do I select a good brie cheese? Look for a bright white rind, and (if you can) give the wheel of brie a sniff. If you detect a hint of ammonia, walk away. The wheel of cheese should also have a little give—it shouldn’t be firm—which indicates ripeness. When in doubt, head to your local cheesemonger and let them do the selecting for you.
- Can you eat brie rind? Yes! That characteristic “bloomy” rind comes from Penicillium candidum, which is a white mold that defines soft-ripened cheeses like brie. It’s not only OK to eat, it’s a really nice textural part of the experience, so leave that lovely, edible rind on!
The Best Baked Brie Recipe EVER: The Indulgent Appetizer to End All Indulgent Appetizers
There are a lot of reasons to love baked brie cheese. But the best reason of all? You only need a few store-bought ingredients to whip up this easy app:
- A wheel of brie.
- Refrigerated, store-bought puff pastry.
- Pecans.
- Black Pepper.
- Dark brown sugar.
How to Bake Brie:
And now, the tricky part. Just kidding. Baked brie is SO easy. Just wait to pop it in the oven until a few minutes before your guests arrive so that you can be sure to serve it while it’s hot. Here’s how to make baked brie:
- Roll out the pastry until it's large enough to wrap your entire wheel of brie.
- Set the brie in the middle of the pastry.
- Top it with all of the goodies. Some people like to top baked brie with jam, but we prefer this sweet-savory-crunchy combo of pecans, brown sugar and cracked pepper. It's festive, not too sweet, and so very crowd-pleasing.
- Brush on an egg wash, so the pastry gets all shiny and golden as it bakes.
- Bake! Until the pastry is cooked and toasty, and the brie is absolutely oozing.
What to Serve With Baked Brie:
There’s no wrong way! We like to offer our guests a lot of options—place the brie in the middle of a serving platter, and surround it with stuff like :
- Fresh fruit. A little baked brie on a water cracker with a juicy red grape on top? PERFECTION.
- Toasted baguette slices.
- Dried fruit.
- Classic, plain water crackers.
- A jar of jam! Whatever jam you love. OR a bowlful of homemade cranberry chutney, if you really want to go all out.
- Mixed nuts. Not so much for dipping, but just as a nice crunchy side.
- And, of course, a festive tipple or two! Mulled wine or holiday sangria.
Tools You’ll Need:
- Baking sheet.
- Sharp knife.
- A pretty serving platter is nice.
- Pastry brush.
- Sturdy cheese knife for serving.
More Hot Appetizer Recipes to Pair with All that Holiday Punch
If you need us, we’ll be over here by the snack table.
- Bacon-Wrapped Scallops
- Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
- White Cheddar Beer Cheese Dip
- Jalapeño Poppers
- Pecan-Stuffed Mushrooms
Can I Get That Recipe?
You may not want to share it, because it’ll give away how easy this appetizer was to make, but we promise everyone will be asking for this recipe. Snap a photo of your baked brie and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you serve it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!
