Baked Brie

I love baked brie. It's easy and quick to make, looks fancy served as an appetizer and with the right toppings it tastes delicious! Part of the fun is choosing the right recipe, so here I'll summarize some of my favourites:

1 Jam Toppings

One of the easiest ways to serve baked brie is with a pure fruit jam on top. I like using Smucker's Jam but someday soon I'm going to work up the courage to make my own jam.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cheese on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until softened, 15 to 20 minutes. Add your choice of fruit jam over the top of the brie with about 3 to 4 minutes of baking left. Transfer to a serving plate; cool about 20 minutes. Serve with crackers or sliced baguette.

2 Baked Brie with Pecans

                 Serves 8


Baked Brie with Pecans I found on the Martha Stewart website. The maple sauce brings a light sweetness to the creamy Brie and the toasted pecans add a bit of crunch.

Ingredients:

• 1 small wheel of Brie or Camembert (about 9 ounces)
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 3 tbsp light-brown sugar
• 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
• crackers or sliced baguette

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cheese on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until softened, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate; cool about 20 minutes.
2. While cheese cools, place nuts on a clean baking sheet; bake until toasted and fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle nuts over cheese.
3. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and maple syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat; simmer until foamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle warm sauce over slightly cooled cheese and nuts; serve with crackers or baguette.

• Another option is to sprinkle 1/2 cup of dried cranberries over the brie with the pecan pieces.

3 Baked Brie with Caramelized Pears

                 Serves 8

I saw this recipe being made on the TV show Best Recipes Ever. It is easy to put together and looks stunning to serve.

Ingredients:

• 1 round Brie cheese
• 1 tbsp sliced hazelnuts or slivered almonds, toasted

Caramelized pear

• 2 tsp butter
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 pear, thinly sliced
• Pinch each salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup pear or apple juice
• 1 tbsp brandy
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
• 1 tsp packed brown sugar

Directions:

1. In a nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat; fry shallot, pear, salt and pepper until shallot is softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add pear juice, brandy, thyme and sugar; bring to boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until no liquid remains and pear is softened, about 5 minutes. (You can make-ahead - let cool and refrigerate in airtight container for up to 24 hours.)
3. Place brie in small cake pan; top with pear mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is softened, about 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with hazelnuts or almonds.