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Oh, man. I cannot TELL you how much this catering gig lit a fire under me!! I had SO MUCH FUN doing this particular one because instead of a meal, it was a ton of apps for a ton of people. And it was a SUCCESS!! Among (many) other things, there was Teeny Tacos, Creamy Cake Truffles, Barbecued Meatballs, Stuffed Mushrooms, Pesto & Goat Cheese Stuffed Cherry Peppers, Shrimp in Texas Red Sauce, and so, soooooo much more. One of the faves seemed to be the Streusel-Topped Baked Brie I made. Considering the holidays, this is the recipe I'm sharing today. It's so easy and very fast to make, but seems so sophisticated and like you spent all day in the kitchen! I served mine with really hearty and rustic wasa crackers, but you can serve with whatever you like! Happy Holidays indeed!

STREUSEL-TOPPED BAKED BRIE

1 full round of brie

cooking spray

1 cup pecan pieces

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 sugar

2 tbs pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gently cut the top of the brie round off and lay it back on top of the cheese from where you cut it from. Spray a circular baking sheet with cooking spray and place the brie in the middle. Bake for exactly twelve minutes. While the brie is baking, combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and set aside. After twelve minutes, take the brie out of the oven and sprinkle streusel mixture all over the top. Bake another five minutes. Take out of the oven and let cool completely. Serve with crackers or just eat it with a spoon!

NOTES: If any cheese runs out onto the baking sheet while cooking, you will be able to scoop it up in its entirety if you want to place it on a platter. Simply place the crackers over it or for a rustic look, don't cover it up. Let that melty-cheese look do all the talking!

This night was all business, so how could it have been SO FUN?!? This was a seven-course meal made by yours truly for our Guest Services Team Captains for our home church, Crossbridge. It was a Summer Dinner Theme because well, it was in the summer. This picture was part of the amuse bouche, which had a cheese board, a black currant preserve brie wheel, canapes, and potato latkes. It was all so 'amuse-ing'. See what I did just there? For the sake of this particular post, I will give you the brie wheel recipe because it was a HUGE HIT, not to mention really, really pretty.

BLACK CURRANT PRESERVE BRIE WHEEL

1 wheel brie cheese

1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted

1 cup black currant preserves (or any seasonal preserves of your choice)

1 egg

1 tsp water

Place the cup of black currant preserves in the middle of the puff pastry in a circle, eye-ing the size of the brie and trying to keep the circle to about the same size. Place the brie cheese on top of the preserves and very gently close up the puff pastry to a tight "present", sealing the edges together and cutting off any excess. Turn over so that the seal is on bottom and place on a prepared baking sheet. Whisk egg and water together in a small bowl, and baste all over the puff pastry. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with crackers, celery, or just drop a whopping spoonful into your mouth by itself!

NOTES: I used the scraps of the excess to make a decoration by cutting out a butterfly with a cookie cutter. I placed it on top of the puff pastry prior to basting with egg wash.

Let's Be Brie(f)

Party Preserves