Brie in Crosta (Baked Brie in Puff Pastry)

Brie wrapped in puff pastry and baked until the cheese is hot and gooey and the crust is golden brown …  mmmmmmm! This is an elegant and tasty appetizer to serve at a dinner party to please and impress your guests.  It’s probably one dish that you don’t want to eat all the time (full of calories!), but when you do it is heavenly.

Try it on either toasted Italian bread or your favorite crackers. To fully enjoy Brie’s taste you have to eat it with its rind, a integral part of its flavor. Some cheeses are conserved in plastic wax or even natural rinds that have, however, an unpleasant taste; Brie’s rind, on the other hand, adds a pronounced and distinctive taste to the cheese, so please do not remove it.

Brie is a soft French cheese named after the French region Brie, where it was originally created. It is a rich cheese but also a good source of protein, vitamin B12 and vitamin B2.  It is a popular cheese in Italy, even though we have a very similar one called Camoscio d’Oro.

I made it with goat robiola from Casale Roccolo and it was delicious. Check the video – Homemade aperitivo at Lake Como!

BRIE IN CROSTA (BAKED BRIE IN PUFF PASTRY)

Total preparation time: 35 minutes        Baking time: 15 minutes                Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS

200 g (7 oz) wedge of Brie
230 g – 1 sheet (½ pound) puff pasry
1 tablespoon water
Crackers or toasted bread

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C  (400°F)
2. Shape the brie as a rectangle by cutting off the point (halfway between the tip and the outer edge), then divide the point longitudinally in half. Place the two thin triangles obtained along each side of the larger piece of brie to create a rectangle
3. Cut the puff pastry sheet to obtain a strip of about 25×15 cm (10×6 in), wrap the cheese completely as if making a little package like a gift
4. Wet the overlapping parts and seal the pastry by pressing firmly with your fingers. This step is very important to avoid having the cheese leak out during baking
5. Decorate the “package” with pieces of puff pastry in a design of your choice
6. Place the wrapped cheese on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown
7. Let cool for 15 minutes, and serve with toasted bread or crackers. -Paola