Wine and Cheese

Every year in grad school I had a wine and cheese party with my roommates. The house changed, the roommates changed and if I put one together for this year it would be the 5th annual wine and cheese party! Maybe for my birthday, nothing better than cheese on your birthday! One of the dishes that Nyk made was this delicious baked brie. It was so popular that the following year after she graduated we decided to make it in her memory. I have also just made it for no real reason other than to eat a round of brie for a week. Delicious. This photo is from the 4th Annual Wine and Cheese Party, we tried to make a little puff pastry wine glass to decorate it with...it kind of worked. I'm sad I don't have a picture of the cheese oozing out.

Holiday Brie en Croute

(adapted from Pepperidge Farm)

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 tbsp. water
All-purpose flour
1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package of puff pastry

1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/3 cup dried cranberry
1/4 cup toasted sliced almond
1 (13- to 16-ounce) Brie cheese round
Crackers for serving
Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork.
2. Sprinkle the flour on the work surface. Unfold the pastry sheet on the work surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 14-inch square. Spread the preserves on the pastry to within 2 inches of the edge. Sprinkle with the cranberries and almonds. 

3. Place the cheese in the center of the pastry. Fold the pastry up over the cheese to cover. Trim the excess pastry and press to seal. Brush the seam with the egg mixture. Place seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Decorate with the pastry scraps, if desired. Brush with the egg mixture.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Let stand for 45 minutes. Serve with the crackers.

The spread!