Cranberry Baked Brie Recipes

BAKED STUFFED BRIE WITH CRANBERRIES & WALNUTS

Steps:

• Score the side of a wheel of brie all the way around with a sharp paring knife. Cut directly on the "equator" through the rind. Using a long piece of string or dental floss, wrap the string around the brie on the newly made cut. Loop one end of the string over the other (a half knot). Then pulling the ends of the string in opposite directions, cut the brie in half.
• Press the dried cranberries on one cut side of the brie, and the walnuts on the other. Quickly put the 2 sides back together with the cranberries on top of the walnuts. Press together and stuff back in any cranberries or walnuts that fell out.
• Roll out a thawed sheet of puff pastry on a floured surface to about 1/8-inch thickness. Place brie in center of pastry. Gently pull up edges to ensure you have enough dough to entirely wrap the brie. You can trim off the corners if there is too much dough. Brush the dough with the egg wash. Fold one edge of the dough over the brie and then the opposite side. Fold over the remaining edges and complexly encase the brie. You can trim off excess pieces of dough, if necessary. Flip the brie over so the seam is at the bottom; gently press in the sides to snug the dough against the brie. Brush the top and sides of the wrapped brie with egg wash.
• If you choose to decorate the brie with cut-out shapes of additional puff pastry, use very cold (almost still frozen) dough to ensure sharp lines. Lightly brush the decorative pieces with egg wash. Place the brie in the freezer for one hour (this is a crucial step; see note below).
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the brie on the prepared baking sheet. Bake on the center rack in preheated oven until it is browned and leaking cheese, about 20 minutes. (Only rarely does the brie not leak through, but 20 to 25 minutes is about how long it takes to melt the cheese and brown the pastry.)

CRANBERRY BRIE BITES

Steps:

• Place Brie cheese in the freezer for 20 minutes. Oil a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
• Roll 1 puff pastry sheet out into a 10x14-inch rectangle. Cut the sheet lengthwise into 4 even strips and crosswise into 6 even strips; there should be 24 squares. Separate and press them gently into the muffin cups.
• Cut chilled Brie cheese into 24 pieces approximately 3/4-inch in size. Add 1 teaspoon cranberry sauce to each pastry-lined muffin cup; press in 1 piece of Brie and top with 1 teaspoon of chopped walnuts. Sprinkle bites with sea salt. Chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bake bites in the preheated oven until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.

CRANBERRY PECAN BAKED BRIE

Steps:

• Put the cheese in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to chill.
• Bring the cranberry juice and brown sugar to a boil in a small saucepan and add the cranberries. Turn off the heat and let the cranberries plump for about 10 minutes. Transfer them with a slotted spoon to a bowl, add the pecans, honey and cinnamon and mix together.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Roll one of the sheets of puff pastry thinner with a rolling pin. Place the cheese on the center of the pastry. Top the cheese with the cranberry-nut mixture. Bring the edges of the pastry to the center and press together; brush the edges with the egg wash so they adhere.
• Cut three 1-inch-thick strips from the remaining puff pastry sheet. Cross the first 2 strips on top on the cheese so they intersect in the center like a ribbon wrapping a present. Seal the edges with egg wash. Bring the ends of the third strip of puff pastry up and over to create a bow shape, with the ends hanging down. Place in the center of the cheese and secure with egg wash. Brush the remaining pastry with egg wash.
• Bake until the pastry is light golden brown, tenting it if it begins to brown too much, about 40 minutes. Let rest briefly. Serve with crackers.

BAKED BRIE WITH QUICK CRANBERRY JAM

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly caramelized, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Add the cranberries, orange juice, sugar and salt, then stir and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is very thick and the liquid in the pan has completely evaporated. Stir in the orange zest and transfer to a small bowl to cool completely. (The jam may be made up to 1 day in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.)
• When you are ready to bake the brie, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Working quickly, unfold the sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured piece of parchment. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll it out to an 11-by-11-inch square (the pastry should be about 1/8-inch thick). Place the brie in the center of the pastry. Use a paring knife, and leaving a 3 to 3 1/2-inch border, trim the pastry to form a circle around the brie. Discard the scraps or save them for another use.
• Spoon the reserved cranberry jam on top of the brie, spreading it into an even layer about 1/4-inch thick. (You might not use all the jam.)
• In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the pastry border lightly with egg wash, then lift the puff pastry to wrap the brie snugly, one side at a time, trimming the pastry so you don't have too many overlapping layers. Press all sides of the brie firmly, making sure to tightly seal any seams in the pastry with your hands. Transfer the puff-pastry wrapped brie and the parchment to a sheet pan. At this point, if the pastry has warmed up considerably, place the brie in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill slightly before baking. (You can assemble the brie up to this point and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before brushing on the egg wash and baking.)
• Brush the whole exterior of the pastry generously with egg wash, then bake until the pastry has puffed and is golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
• Drizzle the brie with honey and sprinkle with pistachios, if using. Allow to cool for about 15 to 20 minutes before cutting into it, so the cheese has time to firm up slightly. Serve warm with baguette slices or crackers.