It Doesn't Get Much Better Than This: Baked Brie and Fig Jam

I am not so green as to serve a bunch of French guests a cheese plate with crackers before the start of the meal.  At least, not anymore.  While I remember this was the height of sophistication at my parents' gatherings in rural Ontario, I learned the hard way that a cheese plate is served at the end of the meal here.  Though you will get a good dose of raised eyebrows if you offer up a platter of your favorite varieties during cocktail hour (known here as l'apéro, an absolutely sacred element to the three hour French dining experience), cheese can be eaten under various guises, and at just about any moment of the meal, from starters, to sauces, and on through dessert.

It's hard to teach a cheese-and-crackers girl new tricks.  I still like a bit of cheese with drinks before the meal properly gets under way, and I've found the perfect compromise that impresses, or dupes, my French friends every time.  It's so easy, you have no excuse not to try it!


Baked Brie with Fig Jam


Get creative and try replacing the fig jam with any of your favorite jams, preserves or chutneys, either sweet or savory.  Serve the cheese warm on a platter with some slices of crostini and a knife and watch your guests dig in.

Ingredients

1 package of pre-rolled puff pastry, 30 cm in diametre
1 whole brie cheese, about 12 cm in diametre
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup fig jam

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180°C.  Roll out the pastry on a piece of waxed paper and spread the jam in a 12 cm circle in the centre.  Don't be stingy.  The sweetness of the figs will bring out the creaminess of the brie beautifully, so go ahead and spread it on thick.

Place the brie in the centre of the pastry on top of the jam and then wrap the whole thing up as you would a package, bringing up the pastry around the brie and twisting the excess on top to make a pretty knot.

Brush the pastry all over with the beaten egg, slide the waxed paper and your cheesy package onto a baking sheet, and pop in the oven for 20 minutes.  Reduce the temperature to 150°C and bake for a further 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool about 15 minutes before serving.