Christmas

Baked Brie in Homemade Pie Crust

by:
January 30, 2014
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves varies
Author Notes

A super easy show-stopping, crowd-pleasing appetizer. Making the crust from scratch is cheaper than buying puff pastry, and what's better than enveloping hot, gooey cheese in a flaky pie crust? —Erika

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose or white whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon table salt
  • 2.5 tablespoons butter, very cold
  • 2-3 tablespoons ice water
  • 8-14 ounces wheel of brie
  • 3-4 tablespoons jam
  • 1 teaspoon milk or egg, optional
  • 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, optional
Directions
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Cut the butter into 1/4-inch cubes and sprinkle over the dough. Using your fingers, pinch the cubes between your fingers while stirring, working to distribute the smashed butter throughout the flour. Your goal is to have as many tiny flakes of butter distributed throughout the flour as possible—try not to leave any big chunks of butter, or your pie crust may end up with greasy holes.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and stir until a soft dough comes together. The dough should be slightly sticky and very soft, but not unmanageable. Add more water, a teaspoon at a time, if your dough seems too dry.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
  4. A few minutes before the dough is done resting, preheat your oven to 400F. On a lightly floured surface or between two pieces of plastic wrap, roll out the dough until it is large enough to cover your wheel of brie. If you have a smaller wheel, you may be able to entirely enclose the brie with your dough. With my 13.5 oz. wheel, I was only able to cover the top and sides of the brie, tucking the edges underneath.
  5. Shave some of the rind off the top of the wheel if you like (leave the bottom intact for your best chance at minimizing cheese ooze) and spread liberally with jam. Enclose the wheel in dough, leaving the jam side up. Brush the pie dough with a few teaspoons of milk or a bit of egg. Top with sliced almonds if desired—they’ll toast in the oven.
  6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and drizzle with honey. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

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Writer and baker/blogger/photographer living in Houston, transplanted from the Bay Area. I admire vegans, lust after New York and have an insatiable passion for pancakes.

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