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| Baked Brie in Puff Pastry with Caramelized Pecans & Apple |
Baked Brie in Puff Pastry was one of the first items in my catering repertoire for my clients... always a huge hit. It is elegant, takes only minutes to prepare, and feeds a crowd. In fact, it is one of the only things from my catering days that I still serve at my own parties!
My version of Baked Brie en Croute is stuffed with pecans and brown sugar. When it bakes, the brown sugar melts over the pecans creating just the right amount of caramel sauce - perfect with the sharp bite of creamy brie cheese. To keep it seasonal, I decided to serve it with apples, but crackers would be great, too.
For More Puff Pastry Recipes for the Holidays, click here!
with Caramelized Pecans & Apples
1 sheet of frozen Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry
1 medium wheel of brie (14-16 oz.)
1 handful of pecans (about 2/3 cup)
1/4 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of butter, cut into pieces
1 egg
Apples (Grapes, or Crackers for Serving)
Preheat oven 400 degrees.
Remove 1 sheet (2 come in a package) of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry from the freezer. Let it sit out for about 20 minutes before you unfold it to allow it to slightly thaw.
Fold it out onto a lightly floured board and roll it out just to flatten the seems. Place the wheel of brie in the center, then top with pecans, brown sugar, and pieces of butter. Fold up the sides* of the puff pastry, pressing them together. Crack the egg into a small bowl and whip it with a fork. Brush the egg on the outside of the pastry. (You won't use all of the egg). Place the entire thing on a silpat (or parchment) lined baking sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Let it sit for 5 minutes before you cut into it. Serve with Apples, Grapes or Crackers.
*I like to make it more rustic looking than 'fancy,' but there are many ways to add fanciful touches to make it more festive - you can cut leaves out of the pastry and put them on top, or create a bow. For more ideas, visit the Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry page - they have a lot of ideas on how to make it look special.
When you unfold the puff pastry, make sure it has thawed enough not to break.
You can see I've only slightly rolled out the pastry, just to flatten the seems and to make it big enough to stretch around my brie.
I like whole pecans, but you can certainly use pieces.
Handful of brown sugar... then top with the little butter pieces. They will help to melt the brown sugar into a sauce.
Fold up the dough, pinching together the seems - it is very important to get it all sealed up... you don't want the brown sugar to run all over your oven!
Brush the egg was on the outside, covering the entire thing.
Bake for 20 minutes at 400.
Doesn't it look so, so good!? Just wait...
Even better - I love the goo-ing cheese. The brown sugar gives it just a hint of sweetness. So good!
For More Puff Pastry Recipes for the Holidays, click here!
*Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry is one of my Holiday Entertaining sponsors. I approached them to join me in partnership this Holiday season because I LOVE their products and have relied on them for years to make my entertaining a success!
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