Baked Brie

I hosted a baby shower in my home last week. Or rather, I feel like I should say, "A baby shower was hosted in my home last week." I don't think I had much to do with the process. Jodi planned the food and Michelle sent out invites and Becky did the decor. All I had to do was prepare my home. I enjoyed that. 

And then I thought about Baked Brie and had to add it to the menu. It's a recipe that I discovered in high school when my newly married cousin came to Thanksgiving dinner, toting a wheel of Brie and a bag of brown sugar. As she pulled it out of the oven, I eyed the dish suspiciously because it looked...interesting...but one bite and I was hooked. It's a mix of savory from the cheese, sweet from the brown sugar and crunch from the almonds, all piled onto a crisp cracker of your choice. It felt like a very grown-up dish. I thought I was pretty sophisticated to be enjoying Brie. 

And while it may taste sophisticated, it's probably one of the simpler appetizers you could make. The Brie is positioned in the center of an overproof dish and covered with sugar, nuts and butter before being tossed in a hot oven where all the ingredients melt and meld together. Perfect for a tasty appetizer to hold back the gnawings of hunger before the Thanksgiving feast or to add the lineup of miniature hors d'oeuvres and sweet somethings as you celebrate the imminent arrival of baby. 

Baked Brie

Total Time: 30 minutes

A wheel of Brie cheese, 6 to 8 inches in diameter (or thereabouts)

1 cup (or so) light brown sugar

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 stick butter, melted

Brie is a soft cheese with a hard, outer rind. 

The rind is edible, but has a distinct flavor and my preference is to remove it. 

If you like the rind and don't want to take the trouble to remove it,

 feel free to make the dish with the rind on.

It's helpful to freeze the Brie for at least 30 minutes, 

before using a paring knife to cut the rind off the cheese.

Lay the rind-less Brie in the center of a 9 inch, oven-safe dish.

Pile enough brown sugar onto Brie to cover the cheese, both top and sides.

Sprinkle sliced almonds on top and press slightly to adhere them to the sugar.

Pour melted butter over all.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees, until cheese is melted. 

If you bake too long, the cheese will turn rubbery. 

Serve immediately with your favorite crackers. 

Recipe from my cousin, Amber.