Brie en Croute is a round of brie wrapped in puff pastry then baked to a beautiful golden brown. This recipe is filled with tart, yet sweet cherries, astringent apricots, fresh rosemary and slightly salty, crisp toasted pecans. It requires very little work but always proves to be a very impressive appetizer.

Start with a small wheel of brie, which you will place over a defrosted sheet of puff pastry coated with apricot jam, sprinkled with dried cherries, a scattering of chopped toasted pecans and fresh rosemary.

Wrap the puff pastry over the filled brie, trim the excess and seal the seams. Feel free to utilize any small scraps of dough using small cookie cutters of various shapes and sizes—ones appropriate for the season.  Place in the frig for approximately 15 minutes—a chilled pastry will provide a flakier crust. Before baking brush with an egg wash and bake until golden.

Ingredients:

One sheet puff pastry, all butter brand preferred, thawed according to package insert

½ cup apricot preserves

⅓ cup dried cherries

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped coarsely

1 round of Brie…approximately 1 pound

½ cup chopped toasted pecans

1 egg

1 tablespoon of water

Gourmet crackers of choice

Directions:

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

On a lightly floured surface roll puff pastry into a 14 x 14 inch square; trim into a circle. Save scraps to decorate top before baking. Spread preserves across pastry, leaving a 1” bare perimeter. Sprinkle on cherries, approximately the width of the brie. Then sprinkle with rosemary. Top with Brie (rind intact).

Whisk egg and water in small bowl. Brush the plain edge of the pastry with egg wash, and then fold up over top of Brie forming pockets. Trim any excess pastry away if needed and press to seal.  Using a leaf or other cookie cutter cut out pastry scraps and arrange on top of Brie. Refrigerate while preheating oven to 400º F.

Brush pastry top with egg wash; bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and a few chopped pecans. Serve with gourmet crackers of choice.

Serves approximately 6-8