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This baked brie is simple, elegant, and oh-so-delicious! A quick homemade praline sauce and caramel smother a smooth melty wheel of brie.
*raises hand*
Hi. I’m Ashton. And I’m a brie cheese addict.
Of the sweet variety, that is. As evidenced here, here, and here.
Yeah. No surprises there, right?
It seems like forever ago, I randomly bought a wedge of brie on an impulse. My husband was out of town, and I was looking forward to a night of chick flicks and indulgent food. Brie looked like it would do the job nicely.
Later that night I stood in my kitchen, brie in hand, and realized that I had NO IDEA how to prepare brie. Rind? No rind? Do you eat it with a spoon? Cut it up and put it on crackers? Take a bite right out of the wedge?
So I put a query out on Instagram, and one of the suggestions was to simply chop it, sprinkle it with brown sugar and pecans, and pop it in the microwave for a quick melt. That night I ate it spread on top of fresh slices of french bread, and it was divine. (You can find a slight variation on that recipe here).
I absolutely fell in love with the flavors of brown sugar and brie cheese. So simple, yet so unbelievably good.
This Pecan Praline Baked Brie may actually be my favorite brie recipe to date. With brie, I believe less is more (and by less, I’m referring to ingredients, NOT the quantity!). The simplicity of this baked brie really allows each flavor to shine, and I just know you are going to love it.
Plus, it’s really very beautiful, isn’t it? Perfect for entertaining… or for a night on the couch with chick flicks 🙂
I recently discovered Nonni’s Thin Addictives in Cranberry and Pistachio, and they are my new favorite brie accessories! They taste just like super thin pieces of biscotti. But if you can’t get your hands on them, there are a lot of great options for brie dippers such as pie crust, ritz crackers, rolls, french bread, and a spoon… just to name a few!
1 8-ounce wheel brie cheese (anywhere from 6-ounces to 12-ounces will work just fine)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Over medium-high heat melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Mix in the brown sugar and stir for a minute (the sugar may not completely dissolve, but you want it to be less granular before you add the cream).
Whisk in the heavy whipping cream and gently stir until mixture starts to bubble around the edges.
Allow to bubble without stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in baking soda and remove from heat. Allow to cool for 10-20 minutes. It will thicken as it nears room temperature.
While the praline sauce is cooling, bake the brie: place the wheel of brie (rind on) in a small baking dish or ramekin.*
Bake cheese for 15 minutes or until it feels very soft (like the inside is melted) when you push gently on the top.
Remove from oven and transfer to serving dish if desired.*
Place pecans on top of the wheel, and pour 1/2 cup - 1 cup of the praline sauce over top (depending on how large your wheel is).**
Notes
*As long as the rind is completely covering the cheese inside (look out for spots where the rind is so thin you can see the cheese), you will be able to move the wheel from it's baking dish to a separate serving platter if you desire. Simply place wheel on parchment paper in baking dish for an easy transfer.
**There will be caramel sauce left over. Store covered in refrigerator and heat to serve over ice cream, brownies, or anything else!
Do you take the rind off before baking? Keep the rind on, as it will help the cheese hold its shape so it doesn't all melt out. The rind is also edible, so you can enjoy it with the melted cheese, or simply remove the top layer after baking and dunk in crusty bread like a fondue.
If you left the rind of the cheese on, the baked brie may seem like it is rubbery once heated, or the brie was overcooked by leaving it in the oven too long. To avoid the rubbery texture, remove the rind of the cheese and make sure to not overbake the brie in the oven.
Baked brie is best served warm right out of the oven. Transfer the cheese wheel to a board and surround it with crackers or a sliced baguette brushed with a little olive oil and toasted.
Unwrap your Brie and place your wheel on a small piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Note: if you have the time, take the cheese out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for an hour before baking. This is optional but helps the cheese bake more evenly. Bake for 10-20 minutes in the oven.
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types). Oven: Bake for 15 to 20 minutes (for 250g/80z), or until melted through. For 500g/1lb brie, increase to 25 minutes. To check, gently touch the centre of the brie – it should feel very soft, like it is about to collapse if you press any harder.
Not only can you eat the rind, you should eat the rind. Technically, the rind is mold, usually Penicillium candidum, but it's good mold! The rind protects the cheese on the inside and helps to give the cheese its flavor. You're missing out on a big part of the flavor and textural experience if you do not eat the rind.
It may be a turnoff but it's a consequence of aging, especially for bloomy-rind cheeses like Brie. As these cheeses ripen, their surface molds break down protein into amino acids and one byproduct of that breakdown is ammonia. When a Brie is aging at the creamery on a rack, the ammonia is evacuated through ventilation.
You can eat it at room temperature, hot, spread it on a cracker, slice it in a sandwich, melt it, top it, and the list goes on. What is this? Should brie be served warm or cold? It's best if you serve it at room temperature or warm for the best taste and texture.
Most cheese experts agree that Brie is best enjoyed at room temperature. In this case, be sure to remove from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving. Additionally, it's best to cut a wheel or wedge of Brie from the center point to the outer edge of the rind to get the most flavor out of it.
Brie is milder in flavour and has a higher cream content, Camembert has a more intense, earthy flavour and is denser in texture. Personally, I like my brie at room temperature and camembert melty and baked, but that's just my choice.
Beware the overripe Brie; though not harmful to eat, the heavy ammonia smell and taste makes eating it not pleasant at all! Watch the video below to learn more about Brie, and for a handy list of ingredients to pair with the cheese (time stamp 0:01:46).
Not only can you eat the rind, you should eat the rind. Technically, the rind is mold, usually Penicillium candidum, but it's good mold! The rind protects the cheese on the inside and helps to give the cheese its flavor. You're missing out on a big part of the flavor and textural experience if you do not eat the rind.
Lots of people eat brie with the rind intact, but many find its taste and texture unappetizing. The trouble is, the soft, gooey cheese sticks to the rind like glue, making it difficult to remove the rind without taking half the cheese with it.
All cheeses should be served with the rind on unless it is wax, cloth, or bark … the flavor profile changes as you get closer to the rind, and as a host, you don't want to deprive anyone of that!"
Introduction: My name is Nicola Considine CPA, I am a determined, witty, powerful, brainy, open, smiling, proud person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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