Simple.
No washed rinds, unpasteurized blues, or geotrichum molds. No cornichons or oil cured olives on the side. No liver pate...no...erudite selections. Just brie at 325 F in the oven for 20 minutes smeared with cherry jam...well, and a few extras...I couldn't resist.
I work with cheese 40 hours a week...and around this time, even more than that. I love all the heavy hitters as all cheese-mongers would boast: Roquefort, Montgomery’s Cheddar, Rush Creek Reserve, Epoisses, aged Pecorino, overly ripe Piper’s Pyramid. On a different level than most, I appreciate a piece of dried out milk and how it embodies the rich history of people, place, and animals and the seasonal journey they take together. I love sniffing the rind for an ammoniated tinge, squinting my eyes to see if the mites are squirming on that Pave du Nord, and I love checking every single piece of cheese in the case when I close up the store...like tucking them in for the night.
However, I brought Epoisses to Thanksgiving one year and my dad thought something died in the kitchen or that all of my five brothers simultaneously forgot about their piles of dirty laundry for the past six months. So now I bring brie to family parties. “Pedestrian” as one of my co-workers would say, but after all is said and done, I want to make my family happy and they are happy with brie. Not the mighty Pierre Robert or Brillat Savarin (Pierre is better), but warm ooey, gooey, pedestrian brie. And everyone couldn't be happier.
Here’s my recipe of what I used for Thanksgiving this year…
No washed rinds, unpasteurized blues, or geotrichum molds. No cornichons or oil cured olives on the side. No liver pate...no...erudite selections. Just brie at 325 F in the oven for 20 minutes smeared with cherry jam...well, and a few extras...I couldn't resist.
I work with cheese 40 hours a week...and around this time, even more than that. I love all the heavy hitters as all cheese-mongers would boast: Roquefort, Montgomery’s Cheddar, Rush Creek Reserve, Epoisses, aged Pecorino, overly ripe Piper’s Pyramid. On a different level than most, I appreciate a piece of dried out milk and how it embodies the rich history of people, place, and animals and the seasonal journey they take together. I love sniffing the rind for an ammoniated tinge, squinting my eyes to see if the mites are squirming on that Pave du Nord, and I love checking every single piece of cheese in the case when I close up the store...like tucking them in for the night.
However, I brought Epoisses to Thanksgiving one year and my dad thought something died in the kitchen or that all of my five brothers simultaneously forgot about their piles of dirty laundry for the past six months. So now I bring brie to family parties. “Pedestrian” as one of my co-workers would say, but after all is said and done, I want to make my family happy and they are happy with brie. Not the mighty Pierre Robert or Brillat Savarin (Pierre is better), but warm ooey, gooey, pedestrian brie. And everyone couldn't be happier.
Here’s my recipe of what I used for Thanksgiving this year…
“Esther’s Brie”
Serves: 10-12
Prep time: 15 minutes (can be made a day ahead)
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 small round of brie (250 g, or approximately 10-12 ounces)
cinnamon and sugar to taste (at least 2 tbsp)
caramelized pecans 6-8 ounces, roughly chopped
½ apple, sliced (anything but red or golden delicious because really...have you ever had a good delicious apple?? why are they called that???)
½ jar of sour cherry spread (I used the Whole Foods version which is excellent, not too sweet)
Directions:
Serves: 10-12
Prep time: 15 minutes (can be made a day ahead)
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 small round of brie (250 g, or approximately 10-12 ounces)
cinnamon and sugar to taste (at least 2 tbsp)
caramelized pecans 6-8 ounces, roughly chopped
½ apple, sliced (anything but red or golden delicious because really...have you ever had a good delicious apple?? why are they called that???)
½ jar of sour cherry spread (I used the Whole Foods version which is excellent, not too sweet)
Directions:
- Cut top rind off the wheel of brie. Discard. (Or for you hippies out there, throw into your backyard compost heap.)
- Place brie in a shallow dish or brie baker and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar (this will be a common theme), chopped pecans, and cherry spread. Sprinkle again with cinnamon and sugar.
- Fan out the apple slices on top of the jam covered brie and sprinkle again with cinnamon and sugar. (I told you so). Scatter a few pecan pieces over the top
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Bake for 15-20 minutes uncovered. Check with a knife for done-ness. There should be no resistance on the knife, and the cheese will be slightly bubbling. Serve with crackers or bread. Note: I use a brie baker, but you can use any small shallow dish to bake the brie in. If you simply place on a cookie sheet or in a casserole pan, the cheese may ooze everywhere.
That's it...easy peasy for your next holiday party! Stay cheesy my friends.