A baked brie en croûte is the kind of dish that makes a holiday table feel special before anyone takes a bite. A whole wheel of brie is spread with fig jam, scattered with toasted walnuts and a drizzle of honey, then wrapped in golden puff pastry and baked until the pastry is crisp and the cheese inside turns soft and runny. When you cut into it at the table, the melted brie spills out slowly, and everyone reaches for a cracker. It takes about fifteen minutes to put together, it feeds a crowd, and it looks like a centrepiece. Serve it warm on a board with crackers, apple slices and grapes.
Ingredients
- 1 whole wheel brie, about 350 g, well chilled — a whole wheel, not wedges; keep it cold so it is easy to handle and does not leak while you wrap it
- 3 tablespoons fig jam
- 40 g walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey, plus more to drizzle
- 1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry, thawed if frozen
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 large egg, beaten, for the egg wash
- A pinch of flaky sea salt
- Crackers, apple slices and grapes, to serve
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until they smell nutty, then chop them roughly and let them cool.
- Unroll the puff pastry on the lined tray. Put the cold brie wheel in the centre of the pastry. Spread the fig jam over the top of the brie, then scatter the toasted walnuts and thyme leaves over the jam and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of honey.
- Fold the pastry up and over the brie, one side at a time, pleating it as you go so it wraps the wheel neatly. Press the edges together firmly to seal them, then trim off any extra pastry. Turn the parcel over so the sealed side is underneath. Seal the pastry well — any gap lets the brie leak out in the oven.
- Brush the whole parcel with the beaten egg, so it turns golden and shiny. Sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt over the top. Cut two or three small slits in the top with a knife, so steam can escape and the pastry does not burst.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and deep golden. If the pastry colours too fast, tent it loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes. Push a knife gently into the centre — it should slide in easily, which means the cheese has melted.
- Leave the baked brie to rest for 10 minutes before cutting, so the cheese sets slightly and does not run everywhere. Drizzle with a little more honey, then serve warm on a board with crackers, apple slices and grapes.
Common Mistakes, Substitutions, Serving and Storage
Common mistakes: sealing the pastry loosely, so the brie leaks out in the oven; cutting into it straight away, so all the melted cheese runs out at once; letting the pastry brown too fast while the cheese is still firm inside.
Substitutions: use apricot jam instead of fig jam; use pecans instead of walnuts; use a wheel of Camembert instead of brie; leave out the thyme if you do not have it.
Serving ideas: serve warm as a holiday appetiser on a cheese board with crackers, sliced baguette, apple slices and grapes. It is a centrepiece for a Christmas or Thanksgiving table, and it works for a dinner party starter too.
Storage and reheating: this is best eaten fresh from the oven. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days and reheat in the oven at 175°C (350°F) for 10 to 12 minutes, until the pastry crisps and the cheese softens again. Do not freeze the baked parcel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the brie need to be cold? Cold brie is firm, so it is easy to wrap in pastry without squashing it. Warm brie is soft and leaks, and it can melt through the pastry before the pastry has time to bake.
How do I stop the pastry going soggy? Seal the edges well, so no cheese leaks out, and cut small slits in the top so steam escapes. A hot oven, 200°C (400°F), also helps the pastry puff and crisp quickly.
Why rest it for 10 minutes? The cheese is very runny straight from the oven. Ten minutes of rest lets it set just enough to hold together when you cut it, so you get a slow, gooey spill instead of a flood.
Can I make it ahead? You can wrap the brie in pastry up to 1 day ahead, cover it, and keep it in the fridge. Brush with egg wash just before baking, and add 3 to 5 minutes to the bake time.
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Baked Brie en Croûte with Fig Jam, Walnuts and Honey
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until they smell nutty, then chop them roughly and let them cool.
- Unroll the puff pastry on the lined tray. Put the cold brie wheel in the centre of the pastry. Spread the fig jam over the top of the brie, then scatter the toasted walnuts and thyme leaves over the jam and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of honey.
- Fold the pastry up and over the brie, one side at a time, pleating it as you go so it wraps the wheel neatly. Press the edges together firmly to seal them, then trim off any extra pastry. Turn the parcel over so the sealed side is underneath. Seal the pastry well — any gap lets the brie leak out in the oven.
- Brush the whole parcel with the beaten egg, so it turns golden and shiny. Sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt over the top. Cut two or three small slits in the top with a knife, so steam can escape and the pastry does not burst.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and deep golden. If the pastry colours too fast, tent it loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes. Push a knife gently into the centre — it should slide in easily, which means the cheese has melted.
- Leave the baked brie to rest for 10 minutes before cutting, so the cheese sets slightly and does not run everywhere. Drizzle with a little more honey, then serve warm on a board with crackers, apple slices and grapes.
