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The Gourmet Librarian

Photograph of the Gourmet Librarian and her family

The "Gourmet Librarian" is a monthly series on the CCPL Website

March 2007

Brie, Cranberry and Nut Appetizer

Last month I wrote about the easy and delicious Bruschetta recipe we had over the holidays. This month I promised the other easy appetizer with Brie.

But first let me admit: I love cheese!! I especially love Brie. Brie is a soft cow's milk cheese named after Brie, the French province in which it originated. It is pale in color; very soft and savory. The white moldy rind is tasteless and edible.

There are now many varieties of Brie made all over the world, including plain Brie, herbed, double and triple brie and versions of Brie made with other types of milk. Brie is perhaps the most well-known French cheese and it can be found at your local grocery store. Although a bit pricey, on occasion you will find it on sale and because cheese has a very long shelf life, you can buy it well in advance and have it on hand.

If you are looking for more appetizer recipes for you next party, a book you may be interested in is Appetizers!: Good Housekeeping Favorite Recipes by the editors of Good Housekeeping. It's a lovely book with 150 triple-tested hors d'oeuvres. The dishes come from around the world and feature spreads, breads, pizzas, tarts, finger foods, savory soups, plus a few sweet treats to complete a buffet of small bites with a lot of good and easy ideas.

Now the particular recipe I am going to share with you comes from my friend, Deborah, who lives in Lexington, Kentucky. Deborah is a very talented interior designer and always throws the most spectacular Christmas party in her beautiful home in historic downtown. She loves to cook and always finds the most interesting array of appetizers to serve at her party and she does all of the cooking herself.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH! MEET ME IN THE KITCHEN!

Lisa, The Gourmet Librarian

Brie, Cranberry and Nut Appetizer

To Start and Have Prepared:

  • A wheel of Brie
  • 1/2 cup of brown sugar (I use Splenda brown suger)
  • 6 Roma Tomatoes, diced
  • 2 T. melted butter
  • 1/2 cup nuts (I use pecan pieces)
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries (I use Craisens)

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Slice the wheel of Brie through the middle like you would a bagel. Place the bottom half of the wheel, rind side down in a baking pan. Mix the other ingredients. Spoon half of the ingredients on the Brie. Place the other half of the wheel, rind side up on top of the mixture, putting the wheel back together like a sandwich. Spoon the rest of the topping on top of the wheel. Place in oven and keep an eye on it. You want to remove it when the cheese just begins to melt. Note: If the cheese melts too much, the top half will slide off of the bottom half. Serve immediately with crackers.

Tips:

I prefer to use water crackers because they are rather bland which allows the rich taste of the cheese to dominate. This is an impressive dish to take to a party. It's easy to make but looks like you spent hours in the kitchen.