Baked Brie

A couple years ago, my husband and I went on a little vacation to Saint Petersburg, Florida -- just the two of us. It was the first time we had done such a thing since our honeymoon, over 30 years earlier. We spent the week visiting art museums and shops, strolling through botanical gardens, and relaxing on our hotel balcony with coffee and pastries. One day, we visited Florida's largest new and used bookstore, Haslam's, which has over 300,000 books in 30,000 square feet. Book lovers that we are, it was almost like being in Heaven. We ate at local restaurants and tried new foods. But one restaurant, in particular, had something on their menu that lured us through their doors every single day.

The Moon Under Water, located on Beach Drive, serves British Colonial cuisine in the atmosphere of a cozy English tavern. For those who prefer dining outdoors, there is seating on the porch and at tables along the sidewalk. The first time we ate there, we decided to try the baked brie, listed among the appetizers. Wrapped in puff pastry and served with crackers and a delicious spicy raspberry sauce, this delicacy had us returning again and again for more.

This recipe is very simple and will give you impressive results. As you slice into the papery layers of pastry, you will discover a luscious, melted cheese that can be spread on crackers along with warm apricot preserves or seedless raspberry jam. The recipe calls for an 8 ounce round brie. I only had on hand a 16 ounce brie, which I cut in half, so the brie in the picture above is wrapped a little differently than it would be, had I used a circle-shaped one. No matter how you wrap it, the flavor is heavenly.

Baked Brie in Puff Pastry

1/2 (17 oz.) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 (8 oz.) round brie
1/8 Cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted in skillet
1/4 Cup preserves (apricot, raspberry, etc.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Roll thawed pastry until large enough to wrap around brie.
Place cheese in center of pastry, and sprinkle almonds on top.
Wrap or bundle up the pastry around brie and press to seal.
Bake 20-25 minutes, until puffed and golden.
Cool 5 minutes before serving.
Serve with crackers and warmed preserves.
Serves about 4.