Baked Brie with Fig Jam
Creamy Brie cheese baked in a puff pastry crust with fig jam on top is a spectacular appetizer that looks much more difficult to make than it actually is!
Perfect Holiday Appetizer
Baked brie cheese is a classic appetizer on any cheese board, but this recipe takes the traditional and elevates it a little by making it a baked brie with fig jam. Not only does it add a level of sophistication to the mild flavored cheese, but it looks pretty too. Best part… it’s not hard to do AND you can just make the fig jam if you like to serve with other cheeses.
How to Make Fig Jam
If you have some fresh figs on hand, this couldn’t be simpler. You just chop the figs and place them in a saucepan with some lemon juice, honey, sugar, vanilla extract, water and a sprig of thyme. That’s it! Just simmer this until it turns into a thick jam and let it cool.
How to Assemble Baked Brie
Assembling this baked brie is also very simple. Start with store bought puff pastry and follow the steps above. I do like to cut a little of the top rind of the brie away so that it oozes a little more and is easier to cut into when it’s baked. Assembling the brie on a piece of parchment paper makes it very easy to transfer the wrapped cheese to a baking sheet.
How to Serve Baked Brie
Of course, this appetizer is best served warm so that the cheese is oozing and almost scoopable. You can hold it warm in an oven until you are ready to serve. Then, pop it onto a board with some crackers or crostini, a few grapes and perhaps some additional fresh figs if you have any left over. It can also be the center of a cheese and charcuterie board too if you’re feeding a large crowd. Oh, and if you’re wondering what you might serve to drink alongside, try the sweet wine blend or the Chardonnay from my Chambray wine collection. It’s a perfect match.
Make Ahead Baked Brie
Baked Brie with Fig Jam is also an easy appetizer to make ahead of time. Wrap the cheese and then just hold it in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic, until you are ready to bake. You can do this a day ahead of time and then pull out an elegant appetizer with very little effort the next day. Happy Entertaining!
Baked Brie with Fig Jam
- Prep Time: 15 m
- Cook Time: 50 m
- Chilling Time: 20 m
- Total Time: 1 h 25 m
- Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fresh figs
- Juice from ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 3 tablespoons brandy or water
- 1 8-ounce wheel Brie cheese
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
- Cut the figs into 8 pieces and toss them into a small skillet with the lemon juice, sugar, honey, vanilla extract, thyme sprig and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until the liquid is thick and syrupy. Cool to room temperature.
- Roll the puff pastry out on a piece of parchment paper into an 11-inch square. Place the Brie cheese in the center of the square of pastry. Use a paring knife to cut a circle into the top of the Brie rind about half an inch from the edge. Slide the paring knife underneath the circle of rind to remove only the rind, leaving a circle the cheese exposed in the center. Spread the fig jam over the Brie.
- Cut off the corners of the puff pastry to make a circle and fold the pastry up over the Brie, making pleats around the cheese and pinching the pleats together as you fold. (There should be a hole left in the center where the pastry does not meet.) Brush the egg wash over the puff pastry and chill the wrapped Brie in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.
- When ready to bake, transfer the Brie to a baking sheet or pan (this is where the parchment paper comes in handy) and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the puff pastry is golden brown. Let the cheese rest for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve with crackers, crostini, grapes and apple slices.
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