There is a veneer of polish that comes with writing a food blog, as well as reading them. Meals get served on pretty plates. Only the recipes that make the cut get posted up. Photos are taken carefully, and can be edited if found lacking. And everything, everything comes out perfectly.
Except when things don’t turn out, because I’m in a rush and didn’t give the puff pastry time to get cold again before popping it into the oven. Attempt to channel my inner June Cleaver as I may, I make mistakes. Sometimes baked brie will comes out like it should: perfectly puffed, golden, filled with gooey brie goodness and a layer of cranberry orange relish too boot, topped with cute little turkey cut out for Thanksgiving. And sometimes baked brie turns into a brie volcano, doesn’t make for a pretty presentation on a pretty plate, but ends up in a casserole dish to prevent further eruption.
Needless to say, it wasn’t perfect, but my dear flies on the wall, it was tasty. Next time I will be patient. Next time, the pastry will be given time to chill again.
Baked Brie with Cranberry and Orange
Ingredients2 sheets of puff pastry (Remember your promise? All butter or home made. No mystery fats!)
1-450 gram wheel of brie
1/3 Cup cranberry orange relish
Directions- Roll out a sheet of puff pastry (I tried a new brand that came in blocks) to about 1/4 inch thickness. It doesn’t need to be a perfect circle or square.
- Take out your wheel of brie and score it with a sharp knife along all surfaces. This is so that the baked brie is easier to scoop/spread, there won’t be any big pieces of rind.
- Place the brie in the middle of the rolled out puff pastry. Fold up the edges over the brie; try to keep the folds evenly spaced.
- Spoon the relish evenly over the brie. Try not to get it on the pastry, because it will interfere with the seal and you don’t want to have a brie explosion like I did.
- Roll out the second sheet of pastry, and cut a circle out that is similar in size to the brie wheel.
- Take some egg wash and brush the edges of the circle, so that it will seal to the other piece of puff pastry, and put it on top, pressing the edges.
- Place everything in the fridge, so that the butter in the puff pastry firms up again.
- Brush the surface of the baked brie with egg wash as well, as it will give it a nice color and sheen once baked.
- Pop it into a 375° oven until the pastry is golden brown (~20-25 minutes). Serve with crackers and baguette.
And there you have it, the baked brie that could have been. Not everything will come out perfect every time, but hopefully it comes out delectable. The next one will be more carefully sealed, and the pastry will be given time to firm back up in the fridge. You have to learn from your mistakes, right?