Baked Brie en Croute - KOTA Territory News

Baked Brie en Croute

1 pound wheel Brie
1 package puff pastry
½ cup apricot preserves
½ cup dried apricots, chopped
¼ cup dried cranberries
½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1 egg, beaten
2 apples, cored and sliced
2 pears, cored and sliced
Sliced Baguette and/or Crackers

Spread  brie with apricot preserves. Top brie and preserves with  apricots, pecans, and cranberries.

Defrost puff pastry in the refrigerator.  Unfold pastry and roll to flatten seems.

Drape puff pastry over brie. Mold puff pastry around brie.

Wrap puff pastry around brie.

Trim pastry.

Press and seal edges together.

Place brie on a baking stone or pan.

Cut leaves or other shapes from trimmed pastry.

Brush with egg wash.

Bake brie in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.

Place brie on serving plate using a large spatula. Rest the brie at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes. This step allows the brie to firm up slightly.

Serve with sliced French bread; sliced apples and pears; and/or crackers.

To simplify entertaining, cover egg washed brie with plastic and refrigerate for up to two days.

Deviations:

• Moroccan Baked Brie – replace apricot jam with mango chutney or pepper jelly and stir in 2 teaspoons of garam masala; replace cranberries with golden raisins; replace chopped apricots with chopped dried mango; add one tablespoon of chopped candied ginger; and replace pecans with pine nuts. This is my favorite!
• Pesto Brie – Replace all toppings with ½ cup of pesto and ½ cup of pine nuts.
• Savory Brie – Replace apricot jam with a savory onion or garlic jam and replace cranberries with caramelized onions.  Replace pecans with walnuts.
• Cherry Almond – Replace apricot jam with cherry jam, replace apricots and cranberries with dried cherries. Replace pecans with slivered almonds.