Award-winning food writer and Puff Pastry enthusiast Camilla Saulsbury has provided tips for preparing and presenting your Brie en Croute.
- WHAT SIZE BRIE?
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You can vary the size of the Brie wheel depending on the number of people you're serving. An 8-oz. wheel is perfect for serving 5 to 6 people. For larger gatherings, a 13.2-oz. size serves about 9 to 12 people and the 16-oz. size serves about 12 to 16. If your store is out of the 16-oz. size, just get two 8-oz. wheels. Remember that if you're using a larger size of Brie, be sure to roll out the Puff Pastry sheets so they're large enough to completely cover the Brie when you wrap it.
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- THE MELTING POINT
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You can vary the stand time according to how soft you like your Brie. The less time you let it stand after baking, the softer and more melted it will be.
For example, if you're using an 8-oz. wheel of Brie and you like an average amount of melt, let it stand for 20 minutes. If you like more melt to your Brie, let it stand for 15 minutes. For larger sizes of Brie, let stand 45 minutes for an average melt, and 35 minutes for more melt. So in sum, the less time, the more melt!
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- DECORATING THE TOP
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To really wow your guests, add some decoration on top. Using the leftover scraps of puff pastry, cut out shapes like leaves, flowers, stars or letters—use your imagination! You can make "berries" by rolling the pastry into little balls. Before you bake your masterpiece, brush the decorations with an egg wash for that golden color.
- MAKING A BOW
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For Puff Pastry Wrapped Brie, create a beautiful bow garnish on top. Cut leftover scraps into 5 strips about 3/4" each. They don't need to be perfect. Take two of the strips, loop them around, and bring the ends together to fashion a bow. Next, place two shorter strips at the bottom to create the tails of the bow. And finish with one last strip across the middle to tie it all together. (For reference, watch the Puff Pastry Wrapped Brie video from 2:29-4:05.)
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- MAKING IT AHEAD
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If you're planning to bake the Brie later, wrap it, along with the egg wash, in plastic wrap, brushing only the seams of the pastry until you're ready to bake it. When you are ready to bake, brush the entire surface of the pastry generously and entirely. This egg wash will give the puff pastry a beautiful golden brown finish.
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- PRESERVE YOUR WORK OF ART
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Besides helping you achieve that beautiful, deep golden color, you can also use your egg wash to secure your decorations/designs on top. The egg wash acts as a glue, and you'll have beautiful, puffed-up decorations that won't shift when baking!
- SET THE SCENE
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Wonderful food deserves to be beautifully presented. People actually enjoy their food more when it's set on an attractive platter and a lovely table. That doesn't mean everything needs to be on silver trays. Instead, consider using platters made of various materials, from porcelain, glass and hand-painted ceramics to wood, woven baskets and copper. Pretty embroidered linens or tablecloths and of course, flowers, no matter how large the bouquet, are always a nice touch.
- WINE PAIRINGS
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The rich creaminess of Brie combined with flaky Puff Pastry calls for a dry, fruity wine like a Chardonnay. If you like red wine, try a light, grapey wine such as Beaujolais Nouveau or a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. For special occasions, Champagne and sparkling white wines make an excellent addition.
- NON-ALCOHOLIC PAIRINGS
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Because Brie en Croute goes so well with a fruity wine, likewise it goes nicely with most fruit juices. Chardonnays have overtones of apple, pear, citrus and melon, so some good choices would be lemonade with seltzer, apple or white grape juice with a sprig of mint or a twist of lime. You could also match the ingredients inside to your beverage. So, if you have dried cherries or cranberries in your recipe, try a cranberry spritzer.
- ON THE SIDE
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Embellish your table with food that complements your Brie en Croute. Some ideas: fresh fruit (grapes, kiwi, apple slices, strawberries); dried fruit (dried cranberries, raisins, dried pineapple); roasted and salted nuts, good olives, cornichons or gherkin pickles, brined caperberries and, of course, Premium Quality crackers.