This one seems self -explanatory, right? Take a wheel of brie, add your favourite jam and goodies into it, bake…and BAM…stellar appetizer with minimal prep!

The most difficult part is remember to take out the puff pastry (best to defrost overnight in the fridge)…and waiting for it get all melty in the oven. It’s not uncommon for my BFF and I to sit down and eat an entire wheel of brie in one sitting…this recipe is definitely not an exception.

Seriously though, look at it. In the world of cheese, this thing would be a supermodel. It’s literally begging to be dug into and drank with wine.

It’s really yummy served with bread or crackers (because you can never have enough carbs, obviously) but honestly, it’s amazing all on it’s own. The puff pastry is already a great vehicle for all the ooey gooey goodness hidden inside.

I love apricot jam and walnuts layered inside, but I’ve also used apple butter and pecans, strawberry jam, pine nuts and balsamic and it’s always been delicious – so there’s lots of room for experimenting here! Brie is really a blank canvas.

Brie in Pastry

• 1 Wheel Brie
• 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup Apricot Jam, or your favourite jam/fruit compote
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, or your favourite nuts
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp liquid (water or milk)
• Favourite seasoning for topping (I used a mixture of dried basil/oregano for the one pictured)

Preheat oven to 375 fht.

Lay sheet of puff pastry down, spread a couple tbsp. of jam and nuts in the middle.

Place your wheel of brie on top, and cut brie horizontally, separating the top from the bottom of the brie.

Remove top of brie, and on the bottom portion, spread the rest of your jam (amount depends on how big your brie is, plus how many preserves you like – this is all personal preference!) and nuts

Place top of brie back on top, and wrap the puff pastry over, folding the sides over as you go around. Once you’ve wrapped the puff pastry, press the edges of the pastry together to close it so it doesn’t over leak while it’s baking.

Flip brie right side up, so the edges of the puff pastry are on the bottom (or honestly, you can bake it right side up if you like and don’t mind seeing the puff pastry creases) and place on baking sheet, or pie pan.

Brush with egg wash, and top with your favourite seasoning. I like dried herbs – but everything seasoning would also be delicious!

Bake for 15-20 minutes until puff pastry is brown and crispy and cheese is melted through. Don’t be alarmed if some of the jam leaks through, it’ll get all caramely and delicious!

Serve with bread or crackers, or on it’s own!

Saluti!