Canadians love a good, baked brie cheese. Some of you like to top yours with a spicy jam or sweet jelly, others prefer a drizzle of a favourite glaze. We’ve decided to give you some inventive riffs on the classic baked brie cheese to bring more wow to your holiday table. From a luscious brie mac n’ cheese served out in a hollowed brie “bowl,” to a prosciutto-wrapped brie with an apple fig topper, these are sure to delight with every bite!
Double Cream Brie Brûlée
You’ve had baked brie, but how about brûléed brie? Take the alluring sugar crackle finish of a crème brûlée and apply it to a Compliments Double Cream Brie for a show-stopping app or post dinner treat. This one’s going to be hugely popular!
Compliments Double Cream Brie (350 g) + sugar + Panache Cranberry & Lemon Mini Artisan Crips
How to make:
Preheat oven to 177° C (350°F). Cut the rind off the top of a Compliments Double Cream Brie, and place it cut side up in a round 5-6” cast-iron pan or oven safe baking dish. Bake 10-12 minutes until cheese is warm and melted slightly. Remove dish from oven and switch oven to broil. Sprinkle 1 tbsp (15 ml) sugar evenly over the surface of the Brie. Broil until sugar has caramelized and is beginning to darken in spots for approximately 4-5 minutes (or use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar instead). Remove from oven, let cool 5 minutes and serve with Panache crisps.
Brie Bowl Mac n’ Cheese
This is the ultimate indulgence- a brie mac n’ cheese that uses a hollowed-out brie wheel as an edible “bowl.” This tasty take serves four to five people and is ready from start to finish in 20 mins. Serve with an array of veg-based sides and you’ve got a fancy brunch, lunch or dinner course in no time!
2 Compliments Double Cream Brie Cheese Wheels (350g) + 2 Compliments Alfredo Sauce Jars (410 mL) + 1 Compliments Naturally Smoked Bacon + fresh thyme + 1 box elbow macaroni (410g)
How to make:
Using a spoon, hollow out both Compliments Double Cream Brie Cheese Wheels. Set cheese and wheels aside (the hollowed cheese rinds will be used later as edible bowls). Dice bacon and crisp in a pan. Set aside on paper towel to absorb excess fat. Cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water for 12-13 minutes, then strain. Bring Alfredo sauce to a simmer in a large saucepan and stir in cheese until melted and smooth. Mix pasta with cheese sauce and spoon into the hollowed brie cheese wheels. Garnish with crispy bacon bits, cracked black pepper and thyme leaves.
Prosciutto Wrapped Baked Brie
Take a baked brie and amp up the flavour quotient with the addition of umami-rich prosciutto slices topped with a Panache Apple Fig Topper. Savoury, sweet, gooey goodness that you can spread on crusty wedges of bread, or our Panache artisan crisps (we recommend the Rosemary & Pistachio Crisps or the Fig & Thyme variety).
Compliments Double Cream Brie Cheese (350g) + 2 packs Panache Prosciutto (100g) + Panache Apple Fig Topper + Panache Artisan Rosemary & Pistachio Crisps (150g) + fresh rosemary
How to make:
Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Place brie wheel on a working surface. Starting at the centre of the brie, using twelve strips of prosciutto, create a cross with three strips on each spoke of the cross, making sure to overlap in the centre. Wrap cheese with prosciutto, tucking each arm underneath. Place on a parchment lined baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve with Panache Apple Fig Topper and Panache Crisps. Garnish with fresh rosemary and serving piping hot.
Fried Brie Fingers
Think Mozzarella sticks, only more molten, more magnificent and you start to get the idea of these Fried Brie Fingers. Serve with Panache Cranberry and Port Topper and Spread as the ultimate sweet-savoury dip and then let the accolades roll in!
Compliments Double Cream Brie (350 g) + flour + eggs + breadcrumbs + fresh thyme + salt + pepper + vegetable oil (for frying) + Panache Cranberry and Port Topper and Spread
How to make:
Set up a breading station with 3 separate, shallow bowls. In the first bowl place ½ cup (125 ml) all-purpose flour seasoned with salt and pepper. In the second, 2 large eggs beaten with 1 tbsp (15 ml) of water, and in the last bowl, 1 cup (250 ml) breadcrumbs with 2 tbsp (30 ml) of chopped thyme, salt and pepper. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut Compliments Double Cream Brie in half, then cut each half into 1 cm (½”) thick slices.
Dredge each slice of brie first in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, and place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat. Place tray in freezer for one hour. In a high-sided skillet over medium heat, heat 1″ oil (2-3 cups, 500-750 ml). When hot, 190°C (375°F), carefully add a batch of frozen brie without crowding the pan. Tip: Use a slotted spoon or spider to gently lower the breaded brie slices into the hot oil, motioning away from you to help prevent splatters. Fry until golden on both sides, approx. 30-60 seconds. Remove from oil and drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Continue in batches until all the brie slices have been fried.
Arrange the fried brie slices together on a platter, garnish with some additional Thyme and serve with Panache Cranberry and Port Topper for dipping.
Holiday Ham and Brie Crostini
If two bite crostinis topped with creamy brie, grainy Dijon mustard, honey smoked ham and the zesty tang of orange marmalade sounds like a delicious mouthful, you’ll want to assemble these in a hurry. The perfect canape for any get together over the holidays!
Baguette + extra virgin olive oil + grainy Dijon mustard + Compliments Double Cream Brie + Leftover Panache Spiral Sliced Ham shredded or cut into 26-30 bite sized pieces + 1/2 cup (125 ml) Compliments Orange Marmalade + 1 bunch Sobeys Chives + 1 tsp (5 ml) coarsely ground Black Pepper
How to make
Thinly slice a baguette on a bias into 26-30 slices. Toss them in a large bowl with 2 tbsp (30 ml) of olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking tray, toasting them at 190°C (375°F) until golden brown and crisp on both sides, approx. 7-8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Cut brie into 26-30 bite sized pieces. On each crostino thinly spread 1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon mustard, top with sliced leftover ham, and piece of brie. At this point, you can melt the cheese by toasting in an oven or serve un-melted. Spoon 1 tsp (5 ml) of marmalade over top. Arrange dressed crostini on a platter, garnish with some finely sliced chives and a pinch of coarsely ground cracked black pepper.
Tip: Make the crostini a day or two ahead of time and store in an airtight container at room temperature until you’re ready to assemble. Makes Approx. 26-30 pieces.
