Ever have the experience of breaking up with an ex and feeling nearly as grief-stricken about losing the family as you felt about losing the guy? Admitting that a relationship has run its course means coming to terms with the fact that spending holidays together is no longer a reality. It also means saying good-bye to his family’s masterpiece meals. No more Christmas Eve appetizers or Thanksgiving butter rolls!
Thankfully, we got custody of some of the best recipes in the split. This dish makes the perfect Christmas eve appetizer and it’s been in our possession so long that we now refer to it as “our baked brie.”
Variations on this recipe can be found at Martha Stewart or Rachael Ray; tweak it as you see fit.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup coarsely shopped walnuts
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted
Wedge of brie cheese (weighing approximately 1.5 pounds)
3 tablespoons jam (raspberry is a favorite, but anything you have in your pantry will suffice)
flour, for rolling
box of crackers (anything you like)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Spread the puff pastry onto lightly floured surface. Roll it to 1/8 inch thick and then place cheese in the center.
3. Top cheese wedge with the jam, and roll up the corners, making sure the cheese is well sealed and there are no
openings.
4. Pop it onto a baking pan and into the hot oven.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden.
6. Serve with crackers.
If you’re apprehensive about working with the puff pastry, watch the youtube video below for a detailed how-to and visual. Plus, see the slideshow above for more fabulous Christmas Eve appetizer ideas that don’t require much time or effort, but are crowd-pleasing hits, nonetheless.