To Brie or Not to Brie... En Croute

My first exposure to brie was in my ninth grade French class for our French food festival.  Growing up, my family was far from adventurous eaters, and the finer things in life (like brie) were just starting to make themselves known.  Eating brie was a turning point in my pursuit of all things delicious.

I have a confession, though.  I can't stand the white rind on room temperature brie.  However, in BAKED brie, it's just fine.  =)  This is a Brie En Croute recipe and is about as simple as it goes!  It does great for get togethers, fancy potlucks, and holidays.

Brie En Croute/Baked Brie
Difficulty: Crazy Easy
Time: Assembly 5min, Baking 20-25min
Serves: 6-10 depending upon size of brie and hunger of guests
Requires: You might need a rolling pin, but you could use a glass or something instead

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (usually takes about 45 minutes)
• 6-8oz Brie
• Your Favorite Topping Combos:
• 1/4c. your favorite jam (raspberry is a favorite combo), 2 tbsp. of your favorite nut (almonds and pecans are great choices)
• 1/4c. sauteed mushrooms, 1/4c. caramelized onions
• 1/4c. sauteed mushrooms, 4 tbsp. of your favorite fresh herb
• Your Favorite Serving Combos:
• Fancy-smancy crackers
• Baguette slices (cut at an angle to be extra fancy)
• Apple Slices
• A spoon.....
• Optional: 1 egg yolk, 2-3 tbsp. whipping cream/half-and-half

1. Preheat your oven to 425
2. Place your brie in the center of your puff pastry and note where the edges are - you can kind of press the brie in a little to leave an indention.  For an 8-inch brie, you may need to roll the pasty out a little.  Remove the brie.
3. Where the brie rested, pile your choice of toppings, like the jam and nuts.  Put the brie on top of them.
4. Fold the puff pastry around your topping and brie.  Press the folds together to seal, and cut off any excess if you need.  Place the folded side face down on a sprayed cooking sheet.
5. If you want your pastry to be nice and shiny, combine the egg yolk and whipping cream and then smear the mixture over the top of the brie.
6. Bake until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.  Let the brie cool before serving, at least 5 minutes, but it will retain heat pretty good.  Mine had about fifteen or twenty minutes of resting time this Christmas, but it was still warm and melty.
7. Serve with your favorite side items and enjoy!