Baked Brie with Walnuts and Dried Cranberries

Need a festive appetizer or dessert to wow your family and friends this holiday?  My friend Kris taught me how to make this easy but elegant Baked Brie with Walnuts and Dried Cranberries. It’s one of her favorite make ahead holiday recipes. And it’s as fun to make as it is to eat.

Kris is a busy food stylist who wears many hats: chef, educator, writer, photographer and consultant. She’s helped write eight cookbooks, including The Cheese Lovers Cookbook, from which she adapted this recipe.

For this recipe, you’ll need a few pastry brushes, baking sheets, parchment paper and plastic wrap.

You can find phyllo dough in the frozen food section of your grocery store.

Fill the Brie with any of your favorite fruit and nut combinations. Use either liquor or fruit preserves and replace the walnuts with almonds, chopped pecans or hazelnuts.

Instead of cranberries, use apricots, dried cherries or mixed dried fruit.

Phyllo dough dries out easily, so keep your sheets of phyllo covered with a damp towel while you handle one sheet at a time.

Kris and I made two different bries: one with brandy, walnuts and dried cranberries and another with apricot preserves, slivered almonds and dried apricots.

Make ahead: You can fill and wrap the brie, unbaked, ahead of time and keep it covered in the refrigerator a day or two until you are ready to bake and serve.

Serve with sliced baguette and/or crackers. My favorites include Carr’s Water Crackers, Triscuits, Wheat Thins and ginger snaps.

The warm cheese spreads easily on breads and crackers and makes a dazzling appetizer, first course with salad or even dessert with fruit and cookies.

 

Gather your ingredients, open a bottle of wine or your favorite beverage and invite a friend to help you bake brie for Christmas or New Year’s.

BEFORE……

AND AFTER!

 

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Dig in to Baked Brie with Walnuts and Dried Cranberries.

And as Julia Childs and my friend Chef Kris would say, Bon Appétit!

 

[tasty-recipe id=”7685″]