Puff Pastry Baked Brie With Cranberries

Warm melting cheese wrapped in a buttery, flaky pastry layers is always a crowd-pleaser, and is easy to pull together when you need an appetizer with a “wow” factor. I always keep a box or two of puff pastry in the freezer to have on hand for the holidays. It’s fool-proof with just a little planning ahead for thawing time.

If you’re not familiar with puff pastry, it’s made with the same basic ingredients as pie pastry, but the dough is folded multiple times to create layers. When baked, steam makes the buttery layers rise about 8 times higher than pie pastry, hence the term “puff” pastry.

I used some leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving to add a bright, sweet and tart note to the Brie, but substitute a strawberry, raspberry or cranberry jam or spread, if you don’t have any cranberry sauce. Fig or apricot preserves would be good too.

Wheels of Brie come in varying sizes. I used an 8 oz. size, but use a larger wheel to serve a crowd. The rind on the Brie is completely edible, but I prefer it without the rind, so I scrape most of it off before baking.

Decorate with the pastry scraps, if desired. I love these decorative plunger-style piecrust cutters. They’re readily available in all kinds decorative shapes at kitchen stores and craft stores with the baking supplies. Brush with the egg mixture to adhere pastry scraps and give the pastry a glossy golden color.

You can prepare wrapped Brie several hours in advance and place in refrigerator until ready to bake. Pull out and brush with egg wash right before baking in preheated oven. Just remember to keep it cold until it goes in the oven so when the buttery layers will “puff” when baked.

You can find 25+ Season’s Eatings Recipes for Holiday Entertaining,  HERE, with recipes for everything from appetizers and party bites, to cocktails and cookies,food gifts and more!