Cranberry Brie

🤍 Recipe Highlights

I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about the brie recipe in the points below:

• Brie cheese: does life get any better than brie cheese 😍🥰!!
• Super quick: for only about 10 - 15 minutes of baking time we turn this brie into (melty cheese) art!
• Simple ingredients: the ingredients we need for this go-to appetizer are simple and easy to get your hands on at the local shops.
• Party starter: everyone needs a couple of party starters for holiday parties or game day. Good food, great company, memories in the making right 😉👌. This combination works as the colours pop but you don't need to spend much time or energy in the creation of it.
• Sweet and savory: the soft cheese has a pretty mild flavour compared to some bold strong tasting cheeses. The sweet cranberry sauce is the perfect complimentary flavor pairing. Combined it is like a powerhouse of all the right deliciousness.
• Minimal effort: serving cheese is a great way to kick things off, but if you have prepare a platter for an hour or 2 to start with, it really consumes all of your time. This cheese recipe is the opposite of time, energy and effort, also known as super easy! (😘🥰❤).

🥗 Ingredients

The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.

As you can see the recipe calls for:

• Cranberry sauce: you will find this in the supermarket where the mint sauces and mustards are. It is a sweet popular condiment that works well with meats, cheese and more! Tart cranberry sauce and melted cheese is like a cheese dream come true 🧀😁.
• Walnuts: these nuts add a texture that is robust and completely opposite to the buttery brie cheese. I use raw unroasted or salted walnuts and then crush them with a meat mallet.
• Pistachios: as with the walnuts, I recommend using raw, unroasted nuts. Again we need to crush them or you can purchase crushed pistachios to start with.
• Dried cranberries: these will be with the dried fruits and cooking supply ingredients at your local grocery store. I purchase whole dried cranberries and then use kitchen scissors to roughly chop them into smaller pieces.
• Brie: this pale yellow creamy brie cheese with firm white rind is an absolute pleasure to cook with. It is versatile, can be served hot or cold and works across a wide variety of recipes.
• Crackers: robust crackers like you see in the photo here are great. These don't break off mid dip into the melted cheese like some thinner crackers do.

Top Tip: I like to provide you with a number of substitutions and variations giving you an array of options when making my recipes. If in doubt of any of the above ingredients, or wanting alternatives, read this section (further below) before jumping into the instructions on how to make the recipe which are coming next 😉👌.

🍳 Instructions

Here are the step by step instructions to make the baked brie with cranberry sauce recipe. The first thing we do is prepare the cheese and you can preheat oven from the get go as it will only take minutes to get the brie ready.

• Make cuts in the top rind of the cheese (Photo 1)
• Oven bake the cheese (Photo 2)
• Transfer the baked brie to a serving plate (Photo 3)
• Top the cheese with the cranberry sauce (Photo 4)

👩‍🍳 How to Make Cranberry Brie

Start to make the recipe by removing the packaging from the brie and discarding it. Then place the cut brie into the centre of a chopping board.

Next use a sharp paring knife to make diagonal cuts into the top rind.

Once done, place the wheel of brie cheese onto a baking tray (cut side up) and then oven bake it in a preheated oven for about 10 - 15 minutes.

When the cheese has been baked, use oven mitts to remove the baking tray from the oven and place it onto a heatproof surface.

Then use a flat silicon turner to transfer the baked brie to a serving dish.

Next heat the cranberry sauce in the microwave for 40 - 50 seconds. Then use a spoon to dollop the hot sauce into the top of the melted cheese like you see me having done in the photos above and below.

• Add the crushed walnuts (Photo 5)
• Add the chopped cranberries (Photo 6)
• Then add the crushed pistachio nuts (Photo 7)
• Place the crackers around the cheese for serving (Photo 8)

Next spoon the small pieces of walnuts onto the top of the cranberry sauce and follow these with the chopped dried cranberries.

Then sprinkle the crushed pistachios across the surface of the cheese and then spread your crackers around the base of the cheese and pop a cheese knife on the serving platter under the brie.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Crackers, chips, bread or fruit slices are all good options when it comes to serving the cheese. You can add it to a cheese board or serve as a stand alone fun holiday appetizers idea. Alongside other cheese like goat cheese or blue cheese it will fit right in 😁👌.

Ritz crackers, Jatz or rye crackers are all good options. They are firm and robust and will hold their own mid cheese dunk (doesn't that sound like a great place to be 😂).

👍 How to Guide

How to Store

Store leftovers of the melted brie in a sealed, airtight container. They can be kept for 2 days and are best reheated before being served.

How to Reheat

Place the leftovers onto a plate and cover with plastic wrap. The best way to reheat them is in the microwave in 30 second increments until the cheese has melted again.

How to Freeze

Nope, it doesn't work. I do not recommend freezing the cheese or leftovers. Simply heat and eat or heat and eat leftovers.

😉 Substitutions and Variations

Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:

• You can use your favorite crackers or toasted bread works as a pairing for this cheese also.
• You can use the food processor to crush the nuts if you want a super fast and easy way to crush them.
• If you want to toast the nuts you can. It does help to bring out their flavor.
• If you would like a different type of cheese, camembert will also work well for this recipe. Follow the recipe steps in the same manner.
• You can provide some sliced apple pieces alongside the crackers for a fruit serving option.
• Alternatives for the cranberry sauce are strawberry jam or raspberry jam.
• You can use fresh cranberries if you wish in place of the dried cranberries (we don't often get them here in Australia which is a total bummer 😭).
• If you want to add a herb either fresh thyme or fresh rosemary will pair well with the melty cheese combination.

💡 Tasty Tips

Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:

• The cranberry sauce has a thick firmer than jelly consistency. It is best warmed or heated as then it becomes more easily spread or dippable.
• To test that the cheese has melted, open the oven door and use a finger tip to gently press the rind on top. It will push down slightly without resisting. At this point it is done. If you can feel resistance, bake it for a little longer.
• Visually look at the cheese and if it looks oily at the bottom or that there is little liquid there, it is most likely ready.
• If you have leftover homemade cranberry sauce this is a great way to use it up. Especially if you have 'had enough' meat for a few days.

🤓 Frequently Asked Questions

What is cranberry brie?

Cranberry brie is an oven baked brie cheese with sweet and savory toppings.

What wine goes with cranberries and brie?

The best white wine with serve with cranberries and brie is a pinot gris or pinot grigio. The best red wine to serve with cranberries and brie is a pinot noir.

Should you eat Brie rind?

The white surface of the brie cheese is called the rind. This helps to keep the cheese together. It is 100% safe and fine to eat (actually I recommend it too).

😍 More Easy Dips and Spreads Recipes

Get ready to dip, dollop and dunk your way through the festive season. Here are some ideas that offer variety through taste, texture and flavors:

• Cranberry Jalapeno Dip
• Spinach Cob Loaf
• Honey Walnut Cream Cheese
• Honey Baked Camembert
• Honey Pecan Cream Cheese
• Baked Camembert with Cranberry Sauce

It is time to get our brie on my friend. You can also find all of my dips and spreads recipes in the one spot.

Adrianne

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