This holiday, I’m making brunch for some friends. They’re going to be making the turkey, ham, and all the sides. I thought it would be a nice gesture to bring them a couple of my special brunch items. I’m also bringing my stuffing muffins and frittata muffins.

Most of the time, people drop by throughout the day. I thought it would be nice if there were food there that could be served at room temperature.

First, my Puff Pastry–Wrapped French Brie Cheese filled with Strawberry Honey Jam and Walnuts.

Second, my Stuffing Muffins, filled with my sweet Italian Sausage, golden raisins, celery, onions, and fresh sage.

Finally, I have my Mini Italian Sausage, Asparagus, and Truffle Fontina Cheese Frittatas.

For this post, I’m going to share my recipe for my Puff Pastry-Wrapped French Brie Cheese. The other two recipes will follow soon.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes or until golden brown
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
Equipment: 1 rimmed baking sheet pan, pastry brush, chef’s knife, rolling pin, 5 inches of kitchen twine, and a pair of scissors

Ingredients:
1 sheet of cold Puff pastry, thawed and rolled to 1/8-inch in thickness
1 (13-ounce) Brie cheese wheel (5 inches in diameter)
3 tablespoons of strawberry honey jam (substitute fig jam)
2 tablespoons of walnuts, chopped
*egg wash
2 tablespoons of apricot jam
1 tablespoon of very hot water
Garnish:
1 tablespoon of Sanding sugar
Crackers

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
On your board, lay out one sheet of puff pastry. Roll the sheet out until it’s 1/8-inch in thickness. You want to make sure it’s large enough to cover the wheel of Brie and come together to be tied at the top. Refer to the pictures above. Transfer the pastry carefully to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Lay the wheel in the center of the rectangle-shaped pastry. Using a spoon, add the jam over the top of the cheese and spread to cover the entire top of the wheel. Next, sprinkle the chopped walnuts.

Instructions on how to assemble the Puff Pastry-Wrapped French Brie Cheese :
Bring each side up to the top. Collect them to come together at the top. Center it so it can be tied up like a package. Using the kitchen twine, tie the overlapping pastry at the top together. Using your fingers, spread the pastry out where it meets at the top. Trim the twine as close as possible.

Brush the entire pastry package with *egg wash. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

In a small bowl, whisk together the apricot jelly and hot water until smooth. Once the pastry is out of the oven, brush the apricot glaze all over the outside. Liberally sprinkle sanding sugar all over. Carefully cut the twine.

Needs to rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with your favorite crackers.

There you have it, my Puff Pastry-Wrapped French Brie Cheese.

Notes:
1) The night before, remove the puff pastry from the freezer and transfer it to the refrigerator to thaw out. The dough needs to be cold.

2) The estimated Kcal count does not include the crackers served on the side.

3) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2020/07/12/italian-sausage-asparagus-and-fontina-cheese-frittata-muffins/

https://lindalouhamel.com/2016/12/02/stuffing-muffins/