An easy appetizer: Cranberry baked brie

With the Christmas season being quickly thrust upon us, I knew that I needed something easy, delicious and comforting to serve as an appetizer when I invited my friends over for a savoury dinner. I wanted to stray away from the boring cheese slices, a variety of deli meats and crackers and bread that it seems everyone serves at gatherings. However, I still wanted a cheesy element because, let’s be honest, cheese is the best!

I also wanted something that tasted festive. What better way is their to evoke the holiday spirit than with cranberries, brown sugar and pecans topping an ooey-gooey melted cheese hot out of the oven? Everyone having guests over this holiday season can wow their guests with cranberry baked brie!

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Serving: 6-8 people

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 500g wheel of brie
• ¼ cup of 2% milk
• ¼ cup of dried cranberries
• ¼ cup of brown sugar
• ¼ cup of pecans cut in halves Flour for rolling out the dough

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Celsius. Place parchment paper on cookie sheet.
2. Use a fork to poke holes in the top of the brie. This is so that the toppings can seep into the cheese as it bakes.
3. Sprinkle pecans on top of the brie in the center. Then place dried cranberries overtop the pecans. Finally, sprinkle brown sugar overtop cranberries and pecans. Set aside.
   
   Tip: To add more flavours, coat pecans in cinnamon.
4. Sprinkle flour onto clear surface and cover your hands with flour so dough does not stick. Lay out the dough. Make sure the dough has flour on both sides of it so that it does not stick to the surface. Using a rolling pin, roll dough so that it stretches into a large rectangle.
5. Once the dough is rolled out, grab the wheel of brie and place it in the center of the dough. Then begin to wrap it by placing one corner over the dough. Continue to do that until Brie is completely covered
   
6. Transfer the covered Brie to a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Then, measure out about a quarter cup of milk and grab a brush. Paint Brie with milk until it is completely covered.
   
7. Place pastry-covered Brie in oven for about 15-20 minutes or until it has been baked to a perfect golden brown.
   
8. Cut open and serve with cut apples, pears or sliced baguette.

Be sure to serve the baked Brie on a large enough plate to catch any excess cheese that may run to the edge of the plate. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from tablespoon.com