The most special thing you can do with brie for an appetiser is to get a wonderful brie...raw milk, have it perfectly ripe and at room temperature and serve it with rounds of thinly cut French bread and ripe pears.
Perfectly lucious!
Linda C

Here are a few recipes that we have enjoyed.

 Posted by: MQmoi (My Page) on Wed, Sep 11, 02 at 23:34
PESTO-FILLED BRIE
This is best as a make-ahead dish.
1 Baby Brie (1.1 pounds)
1 small clove garlic
1 bunch fresh basil (1 ½ t. dried)
4 T. unsalted, softened butter
Squeeze fresh lemon juice
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 T. pine nuts or walnuts
Chopped parsley
Split brie horizontally into two layers and set aside.
In a blender, chop garlic finely. Add enough basil leavesÂwashed and driedÂto make about ½ cup. Add half of the butter, lemon juice and pepper. Process until smooth. Remove and stir in nuts.
Spread filling evenly onto one layer of cheese, then top with second layer, cut side down.
Spread remaining butter around edge of cheese and sprinkle with parsley.
To serve, cut into wedges. Make 24 hours before serving so all flavors meld. Serves 8-12.

Something I have done is to use an oven proof plate and put a round ( usually 6 or 8 oz) on it.....the cheese should be room temp. Then brown some sliced almonds in about 2 T butter and pour over the top of the brie. Put it under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until the butter just starts to bubble ( watch closely!!!!).....then pour over a tablespoon of warmed brandy, light and present.
I serve that with baguette slices.
Linda C

BAKED BRIE WITH LEMON AND HERBS (makes 24 appetizer servings)
1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 Tbs. fresh thyme leaves, minced
1 tsp. grated fresh lemon peel
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 wheel (2.2 pounds) cold ripe Brie cheese (about 7 1/2 inch diameter) or one 2 pound wedge
apple wedges, grapes, assorted crackers

In small bowl, mix parsley, thyme, lemon peel and pepper. Set aside. With long slicing knife, cut Brie horizontally in half. Remove top layer; sprinkle all of parsley mixture over bottom layer. Replace top layer, rind side up. Wrap Brie in foil.

Let wrapped Brie stand at room temperature 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place wrapped Brie on cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes. Remove cheese to wire rack and cool for 20 minutes. (If served hot, cheese will be too soft and runny). Unwrap Brie and carefully transfer to serving plate. Serve with apple wedges, grapes and crackers.

Notes: Do not remove white crust from the Brie or this recipe will flop. I dip the apple wedges in pineapple juice to keep them from turning dark. Looks especially pretty when served on a raised cake plate with fruit surrounding it.

As a side note, here's a good use for leftover Brie. Chop some walnuts to about the size of unpopped popcorn, about 1 Tbsp. per person. Toast them in a 325 degree oven for about 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown. Watch carefully as they can burn easily. Set aside. Lightly sprinkle one NY strip steak per person with Worcestershire sauce and spread it around on the steak. Then rub with cut garlic cloves, sprinkle with salt and pepper and broil or grill to doneness desired. Remove and cover top of steaks with toasted walnuts. Cover walnuts with thin slices of Brie cheese. Stick under broiler until cheese melts, usually about 1 minute. Serve and enjoy.

One of our favorites is to cover a Brie with dried cranberries and heat it just enough to soften the brie. The combination is so delicious served with thin-sliced, toasted French bread or a good cracker.

Here's my favourite...
Caramel Brie
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp brandy
1/4 cup chopped pecans
round of brie cheese
Combine sugar and brandy, mix and microwave for 1 minute. Pour on top of cheese and microwave for 2 minutes on medium heat. Top with chopped pecans. Enjoy.
I like it with the little dry melba toast rounds.

I tried this one last year - we really liked it.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Sugar and Nut Glazed Brie

Recipe By :Paula Deen
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts or pecans
1 tablespoon brandy
1 round brie -- (14-ounce)
Apple wedges -- for serving
Pear wedges -- for serving
2 tablespoons lemon juice -- (2 to 3)
Crackers -- for serving

In a small bowl stir together the sugar, nuts, and brandy. Cover and chill for at least 24 hours or up to 1 week.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Place the brie on an ovenproof platter or pie plate. Bake for 4 or 5 minutes or until the brie is slightly softened. Spread the sugar mixture in an even layer on top of the warm brie and bake for 2 to 3 minutes longer, or until the sugar melts. Brush the fruit wedges with lemon juice and arrange them around 1 side of the brie. Place crackers around the other side.

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Thank you, everyone, for all the brie recipes. Can't wait to try them. :)

BRIE & SUNDRIED TOMATOES

1 wedge of good Brie
1 can refrigerated french bread dough
1 jar of Brie, chopped

Lightly grease the plate with olive oil or whatever you like.
Place Brie in the center of a round Pyrex pie plate
Open can of bread and place it around the edge of the plate, making a circle.
Place sundried tomatoes between Brie & dough
Sprinkle over some Creole seasoning or whatever you like

Bake per directions on the bread can until golden brown.

Slice bread in small slices in the plate, pass around and each guest can get their own using a small cocktail knife.

This dish is especially delicious and looks festive for the holiday.

I simply wrap a block of Brie in Crescent roll dough..Unwrap dough and separate into 2 squares..Place Brie on one square, cover with the other.. seal edges.. Place on baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes.. Delicious and easy.. If you want a sweet treat..before wrapping cheese in pastry or crescent rolls, top it with raspberry jam or whatever your favorite..Brush pastry with beaten egg before baking..Phylo or pastry dough also does well..

Larkie

I found this recipe in one of those little recipe books at the check out line at the grocery store. This one is from Betty Crocker.

Brie in Puff Pastry with Cranberry Sauce.
Cranberry Sauce:
1 C. fresh cranberries
6 T. packed brown sugar
1 T. orange juice
1/2 t. grated orange peel

Brie and Pastry:
1 T. butter or margarine
1/3 C. sliced almonds
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from 17.3 oz package) thawed
1 round of Brie cheese (14 to 15 oz)
1 egg beaten
Assorted crackers or sliced fresh fruit

1. In 1 quart saucepan, mix cranberries, brown sugar and orange juice. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 15 to 20 minutes stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and cranberries are tender. Stir in orange peel; remove from heat.
2. In 8-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook almonds in butter, stirring frequently, until golden brown; remove from heat.
3. Heat oven to 400. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. On lightly floured surface, roll pastry into 16 x 9 inch rectangle. Cut out one 8 1/2 inch circle and one 7-inch circle from pastry.
4. Place cheese round on center of large circle. Spoon cranberry sauce and almonds over cheese. Bring pastry up and press around side of cheese. Brush top edge of pastry with egg. Place 7-inch circle on top, pressing around edge to seal. Brush top and side of pastry with egg. Cut decorations (using small cookie cutters) from remaining pastry and arrange on top; brush with egg. Place on cookie sheet.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on cookie sheet on wire rack 1 hour before serving. Serve with crackers.

I made this last year and it was wonderful! I highly recommend it.
Chris

I make a baked brie like Larkie does, but I top it with Apricot Preserves then wrap it in the crescent dough.

To wrap it, you separate the crescent rolls into the triangles, putting all the points facing out, in a circle. Put the brie in the middle of the circle, top with preserves and then bring all the points of the crescent rolls up and over the brie/preserves. Then bake at the temperature according to package directions, until it's nicely golden brown.

I make a baked brie en croute. I plop the whole brie on top of a piece of puff pastry rolled out. I top it with Stonewall Kitchen garlic and onion jam. I close up the puff pastry with pleats. I brush with an egg and put on a cookie sheet on parchment and bake until browned. This is yummy and incredibly easy.

This is special and colorful but it is also very easy-I hope that doesn't disqualify it for consideration. I sometimes make if for lunch for myself!

Smoky Berry Brie Round of Brie
1/2 cup to 1* cup Raspberry-Chipotle Sauce (like Dan T's) *depending on the size of the Brie

Pour Raspberry-Chipotle sauce on Brie, then bake in a 350 F oven for 15 -20 minutes, until cheese softens and starts to melt and sauce is bubbling. I bake and serve it in a brie baker.

Serve with appetizer crackers.

When you top a round of Brie with something and then heat it up, do you slice off that white stuff first? Some recipes indicate to do it, and some recipes don't say anything about it. What is the norm? Is it just a person's taste?

Thanks!

When I make mine wrapped in puff pastry I don't take the rind off.

I found a really easy brie recipe the other day. Basically you cut the top rind off of the brie, top it with carmelized onions and bake it for ~30 minutes. The only thing is it called for the brie to come in a special box which you use to bake it. I've never seen this at the grocery store. Does anyone know about or ever heard of brie boxes? Are they expensive?

Here is a link that might be useful: Brie Recipes

I agree with LindaAC. Get a good brie and serve at room temp. We like it with apple and pear slices and red seedless grapes. (Toss apple and pear slices in lemon juice to keep from turning brown.)

WOW!!!!!!!!!! Now I really have a decision to make!!!

I love the way this Brie came out (I went to a pocketbook party the other night) Carmelized Sweet Onion done normally like you would in a pan when cool pulse 3-4 times in food processor cut top off bries smear onion on bake and serve with crostini.