
Store-bought puff pastry makes this elegant baked Brie a cinch to pull off. (But that can be our little secret.)–The Editors at America’s Test Kitchen
Baked Brie en Croûte
Ingredients
- One sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- One wheel firm Brie cheese
- 1/4 cup apricot preserves or hot pepper jelly, (or other fruit preserves or chutney)
- Cracker or bread, (optional)
Instructions
- Roll the puff pastry into a 12-inch square on a lightly floured counter. Using a pie plate or other round guide, trim the pastry to a 9-inch circle with a paring knife. Brush the edges lightly with the beaten egg.
- Place the Brie in the center of the pastry circle and lift the pastry up and over the cheese, pleating it at even intervals and leaving an opening in the center where the Brie will be exposed. (Don’t worry if your pleats aren’t perfect.) Press the pleated edge of pastry up into a rim, which will later be filled with preserves or jelly.
- Brush the exterior of the pastry with beaten egg and transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 20 minutes.
☞ TESTER TIP: Don’t skip the freezing. It takes only 20 minutes and ensures the Brie doesn’t melt too much during baking while still allowing it to become just the right amount of oozy.
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Bake the cheese until the exterior is a deep golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack. Spoon the jelly into the exposed center of the Brie. Let cool for about 30 minutes. Serve with crackers or bread.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
If you want to dazzle folks and have next to no time, this is the recipe you need! I had brunch guests over this morning. While washing up the dishes, I pulled out my thawed puff pastry, prepared it as directed, and tossed it in the freezer. After my guests left, I grabbed my chilled cheese and pastry, brought it over to family’s house, and tossed it in the oven. Just 25 minutes later, we were gathered round a platter of gooey warm cheese. Everyone was thrilled! Even my husband, who claims to not like Brie, was delighted by this.
This was delicious. I used Dufour puff pastry and peach pepper jelly. It wasn’t spicy at all and I would use a straight pepper jelly in the future.
The combination of apricot jam and Brie was really good and the recipe was easy to execute. Someone here was skeptical about the hole in the middle but I told her to stay optimistic and we were rewarded. The hole was perfectly sized for the jam.
Great recipe to bring to a party. I have made different versions of this recipe in the past, I was curious to try it with pepper jelly. Great recipe and easy to do, although I had a tough time making everyone wait for the cheese to cool before trying.
I love “retro” recipes like this one. It was easy to make and brought back fond memories of dinner parties gone by.
This is a handy recipe for entertaining when you want something both tasty and attractive and your nerves are in the state where a complicated recipe may send you back to bed. Reasonably quick, hard to screw up, and enjoyed by all who tried it. I do need some practice on pleating puff pastry dough, however. My final product did look a little different from the picture.
This is a quick and spiffy way to serve warm cheese to some very happy guests! People devoured it.
This is a decadent show stopper for a gathering, even if you’re an amateur with puff pastry…so even though it looks complicated and fancy, don’t let that stop you!
David and staff, this recipe is amazing! I add sauteed shallots to the apricot preserves before topping. The combo is AWESOME to say the least. Great ‘anytime’ recipe, but especially delicious when serving dinner guests and dinner is two hours away! LoL! Yummy.
GrammaSue, I am so delighted!