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Brie de Meaux in puff pastry
Brie en croûte, a whole Brie baked in pastry with honey and walnuts
FrenchMeaux, east of Paris, has made Brie since the Middle Ages, and the town's cheese fair still crowns the 'queen of cheeses' each year. Baking a small Brie in puff pastry with honey and nuts is a favourite of Île-de-France home cooks for drinks parties, Christmas Eve and New Year: the pastry goes crisp and golden while the cheese inside turns into a warm, flowing sauce for dipping bread and apple slices. A small 500 g Brie or a thick wedge works better than a huge wheel. Brie de Meaux is made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian Brie for a vegetarian table. Chef's tip: rest it for 10 minutes after baking; cut at once, the cheese floods out and the pastry goes soggy.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 11 ½ oz all-butter puff pastry1 ready-rolled sheet
- 1 ⅛ lb small whole Brieor a vegetarian Brie
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 ⅜ oz walnutsroughly chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 eggbeaten
- 2 apples (optional)sliced, to serve
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan) and line a baking tray. Unroll 11 ½ oz all-butter puff pastry and set 1 ⅛ lb small whole Brie in the middle.
Step 2: Spoon 2 tbsp honey over the top of the cheese and scatter with 1 ⅜ oz walnuts and 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves.
Step 3: Brush the pastry around the cheese with 1 egg. Fold the pastry up over the Brie in pleats, pressing it to seal, and trim any very thick folds. Turn it over so the seams are underneath and set on the tray.
Step 4: Brush all over with egg, cut leaves from the trimmings to decorate if you like, and chill for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 5: Bake for 25–30 minutes, until deep golden and puffed. Common mistake: leaving gaps in the pastry; the cheese leaks out and burns on the tray, leaving the parcel hollow. Patch any cracks with trimmings before baking.
30 minStep 6: Rest for 10 minutes, then cut into wedges at the table and serve with crusty bread and 2 apples.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 38 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does brie de Meaux in puff pastry take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of honey?
- Maple syrup or golden syrup, same amount.
- What can I use instead of walnuts?
- Pecans or chocolate chips, same amount.
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