Brie en Croûte with Cherries and Pistachios
recipe from Wholefoods Market

This festive Brie can be served as a dessert or appetizer with Champagne or a semi-dry Riesling. Try other combinations such as cranberries and walnuts for Thanksgiving. Savory versions could contain mushrooms, onions and herbs. I made this with dried cherries and almonds one Easter.

Note: A common complaint with baked brie is that the wheel fails to melt, or even ends up rubbery. When baking brie, remembering a few key things will encourage good melting. The first is to score or remove some of the top rind. Your brie or camembert wheel comes in a bloomy rind, which, while perfectly edible, can vary in thickness and texture from one wheel to the next. When you cut through that rind, the interior of the cheese can get better exposure to the heat. Second, don't overcook the brie. Twenty to 25 minutes in a 350°F (180°C) oven without the puff pastry crust, or up to 35 minutes with it, should be enough to heat the cheese through. In fact, overcooking it, especially if you haven't cut the rind, may actually re-harden the cheese and make it tough and unappetizing.

Other preserves and jams that would work very nicely are fig jam, quince and apricot. A sweet berry jam would push this too deep into dessert territory for our taste, but cranberry should pair well.

17.5 ounces frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 (400-gram) wheel Brie
1/2 cup (+ few extra for garnish) dried cherries
1/4 cup cherry preserves
1 tablespoon brandy or cognac (optional)
1/2 cup (+ few extra for garnish) shelled pistachios, lightly toasted
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Lay puff pastry flat on a non-stick or parchment-lined baking sheet or pie pan. Slice wheel of Brie in half horizontally to create two thinner Brie rounds. Place one Brie round (rind-side down) onto pastry dough. In a small bowl, mix together cherries, preserves and brandy. Spread evenly over Brie and scatter pistachios on top. Place other Brie round (rind-side up) over filling. Fold pastry edges up over Brie, and press together to seal. Flip entire package so that the seam is underneath. Brush top with egg wash if desired.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until pastry is golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes before serving. Garnish sparingly with additional toasted pistachios and dried cherries.

Serves 6 to 10

Other Instructions from other recipes

Some recipes do not have you cut the brie in half. Instead the fruit and nut mixture is on top of the cheese.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 14-inch square. Cut off the corners to make a circle. Spoon the fruit and nuts mixture in the center of the circle (because the pastry will be baked seamside down, the fruit and nuts will be on top). Top with the cheese. Brush the edge of the circle with the egg mixture. Fold the pastry up over the cheese to cover. Trim the excess pastry and press to seal. Brush the seam with the egg mixture. Place seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Decorate the top with the pastry scraps, if desired. Brush with the egg mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Let stand for 45 minutes. Serve with crackers.