Baked Brie With Pear Cranberry Walnut Conserve Recipe 475

Steps:

• Score the side of a wheel of brie all the way around with a sharp paring knife. Cut directly on the "equator" through the rind. Using a long piece of string or dental floss, wrap the string around the brie on the newly made cut. Loop one end of the string over the other (a half knot). Then pulling the ends of the string in opposite directions, cut the brie in half.
• Press the dried cranberries on one cut side of the brie, and the walnuts on the other. Quickly put the 2 sides back together with the cranberries on top of the walnuts. Press together and stuff back in any cranberries or walnuts that fell out.
• Roll out a thawed sheet of puff pastry on a floured surface to about 1/8-inch thickness. Place brie in center of pastry. Gently pull up edges to ensure you have enough dough to entirely wrap the brie. You can trim off the corners if there is too much dough. Brush the dough with the egg wash. Fold one edge of the dough over the brie and then the opposite side. Fold over the remaining edges and complexly encase the brie. You can trim off excess pieces of dough, if necessary. Flip the brie over so the seam is at the bottom; gently press in the sides to snug the dough against the brie. Brush the top and sides of the wrapped brie with egg wash.
• If you choose to decorate the brie with cut-out shapes of additional puff pastry, use very cold (almost still frozen) dough to ensure sharp lines. Lightly brush the decorative pieces with egg wash. Place the brie in the freezer for one hour (this is a crucial step; see note below).
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the brie on the prepared baking sheet. Bake on the center rack in preheated oven until it is browned and leaking cheese, about 20 minutes. (Only rarely does the brie not leak through, but 20 to 25 minutes is about how long it takes to melt the cheese and brown the pastry.)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Using a warmed sharp knife, or unflavored dental floss (See Cook's Note 1) cut the wheel of brie in half horizontally and separate the top half of the wheel from the bottom half. Sprinkle the bottom half of the brie with the dried cherries, toasted almonds, and brown sugar. Replace the top half of the brie and apply pressure to secure the stuffing. Working on a well-floured surface, roll out the puff pastry so that it will fully cover the brie. Place the brie in the middle of the puff pastry and fold the excess pastry around the wheel. Put the wheel aside. Roll out another piece of puff pastry and cut out a circle the same circumference as the top of the brie. Save the trimmings for decorations. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg on top of the brie in the puff pastry and place the circle on top. Brush the top of the circle with egg. Cut out decorations using cookie cutters or a small knife on top of the brie. Brush the entire top side of the brie with the egg and place the brie on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the pastry begins to turn golden brown, then turn the temperature down to 325 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes. Serve on a pretty platter. See Cook's Note 2.
• Cook's Note 1: Instead of using a knife to cut the brie, use a piece of unflavored dental floss. Make an initial cut half way down, along the outer side of the brie with a pairing knife. Then, take a long piece of dental floss and wrap it around both hands. Starting at the front of the wheel at the initial cut, work through the wheel with the floss, separating the top half of the wheel from the bottom.
• Cook's Note 2: The brie can be made, wrapped securely and stored in the freezer up to a month ahead of time.

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly caramelized, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Add the cranberries, orange juice, sugar and salt, then stir and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is very thick and the liquid in the pan has completely evaporated. Stir in the orange zest and transfer to a small bowl to cool completely. (The jam may be made up to 1 day in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.)
• When you are ready to bake the brie, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Working quickly, unfold the sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured piece of parchment. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll it out to an 11-by-11-inch square (the pastry should be about 1/8-inch thick). Place the brie in the center of the pastry. Use a paring knife, and leaving a 3 to 3 1/2-inch border, trim the pastry to form a circle around the brie. Discard the scraps or save them for another use.
• Spoon the reserved cranberry jam on top of the brie, spreading it into an even layer about 1/4-inch thick. (You might not use all the jam.)
• In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the pastry border lightly with egg wash, then lift the puff pastry to wrap the brie snugly, one side at a time, trimming the pastry so you don't have too many overlapping layers. Press all sides of the brie firmly, making sure to tightly seal any seams in the pastry with your hands. Transfer the puff-pastry wrapped brie and the parchment to a sheet pan. At this point, if the pastry has warmed up considerably, place the brie in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill slightly before baking. (You can assemble the brie up to this point and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before brushing on the egg wash and baking.)
• Brush the whole exterior of the pastry generously with egg wash, then bake until the pastry has puffed and is golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
• Drizzle the brie with honey and sprinkle with pistachios, if using. Allow to cool for about 15 to 20 minutes before cutting into it, so the cheese has time to firm up slightly. Serve warm with baguette slices or crackers.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Using a large chef's knife, cut the white rind off the brie and discard (this works best when the cheese is very cold).
• Roll the chilled dough to about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the rolled dough to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Place the brie at the center of the dough square and then spread the jam over the top of cheese. Drape the four corners of the dough, one at a time, across the brie to enclose it. If there is too much overlapping dough, trim the sides before draping. You want the dough to just cover the brie.
• Brush the egg wash over the brie, making sure it does not pool where it meets the tray or it will stick. Sprinkle with the sugar if using. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 8 to 10 minutes before serving warm.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese and flour on low speed until mixture forms a ball. Divide in half and wrap each portion in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes., On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion into a 7-in. circle about 1/8 in. thick. Place one circle on an ungreased baking sheet. Place Brie on pastry and top with remaining pastry circle; pinch edges to seal. Flute bottom edge if desired., In a small bowl, whisk egg and water; brush over top and sides of pastry. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from the baking sheets. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving. Serve with crackers and fruit.

Steps:

• To make the conserve: 1. Heat the butter in a heavy pan over medium heat until it begins to foam 2. Add the pears and cook stirring for 2 - 3 minutes, until the pear is tender 3. Stir in the brown sugar, dried cranberries, walnuts and spices 4. Continue cooking for 10 minutes, then set aside and cool to room temperature To make the brie: 1. Put Brie on a work surface and with a 2-inch round cutter cut out 10 rounds 2. On a lightly floured surface unfold 1 pastry sheet (do not roll out pastry) and with a 2 1/4-inch round cutter cut out 10 rounds 3. Unfold remaining 3 pastry sheets and with a 5-inch round cutter cut out 10 rounds 4. On cleaned work surface arrange 1 large pastry round and brush top with some egg. Center 1 cheese round on pastry and wrap pastry up over cheese to form a 3/4-inch border on top of cheese. Brush border with some remaining egg and top with 1 small pastry round, pressing edges of dough together gently but firmly to seal. Brush round with some remaining egg and chill on a baking sheet. Make more wrapped Brie with remaining pastry and cheese rounds in same manner. Chill each wrapped Brie, uncovered, at least 30 minutes 5. Preheat oven to 425 F. and lightly grease a baking sheet. 6. Bake Brie on baking sheet in middle of oven 15 minutes, or until puffed and golden. 7. Cool Brie on baking sheet on a rack about 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm * Chef Phil likes to serve the brie on a bed of frisèe with a spoonful of the conserve. The bitter frisèe provides a nice contrast of flavors with the creamy and buttery brie. The conserve can be made ahead, cooled and refrigerated up to a week. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.