Baked Brie en Croûte With Apple and Pear Compote Recipe (2024)

  • Savory
  • Brie
  • Apple
  • Pear

Pastry-covered melty cheese with an autumnal twist.

By

Emily and Matt Clifton

Baked Brie en Croûte With Apple and Pear Compote Recipe (1)

Emily and Matt Clifton

Emily and Matt Clifton are recipe developers, photographers, and cookbook authors. Their two cookbooks are Cork and Knife (2019) andThe Ultimate Dutch Oven Cookbook (2021).

Learn about Serious Eats'Editorial Process

Updated September 27, 2022

Why It Works

  • Pairing the creamy cheese with a combination of tart and sweet gives it the ideal flavor balance.
  • Adding a puff pastry crust is an easy way to create an impressive party appetizer.
  • Triple-cream cheese gives you the best gooey melt.

Kick off any party with a seasonally dressed baked brie. Whether wrapped in pastry or not, some fruit, jam, honey, or nuts can turn an average cheese into something special.

Baked Brie en Croûte With Apple and Pear Compote Recipe (2)

This baked brie with thyme and fig jam gives lots of details on selecting the perfect cheese. Another version, brie with honey and pistachios, is the simplest, forgoing the pastry shell. You don’t need a fancy brie for any of these recipes, any bloomy rind cheese will do, preferably a high-fat triple-cream version.

Baked Brie en Croûte With Apple and Pear Compote Recipe (3)

This rendition is also baked in puff pastry, but we add a layer of sweet, spiced homemade apple and pear compote.

Baked Brie en Croûte With Apple and Pear Compote Recipe (4)

For this version, you'll need to slice the wheel in half horizontally, then spread the filling between the two halves as well as on top, creating a higher ratio of jam to cheese, which works well with a milder compote like this one. Then simply shove it in the oven and bake until the pastry is crisp and golden and the cheese is melted—no need to reinvent the wheel here. (Sorry.)

January 2017

Recipe Details

Baked Brie en Croûte With Apple and Pear Compote Recipe

Active45 mins

Total90 mins

Serves6to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon (15g)unsalted butter

  • 1 apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice

  • 1 pear, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice

  • 1/4 cup (60g)sugar

  • 1 small cinnamon stick (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

  • One (6- to 8-ounce; 170 to 225g) round brie, camembert, or other soft-ripened cheese, slightly chilled (see notes)

  • All-purpose flour, for dusting

  • 10-inch square puff pastry dough, kept cold, rolled out to 1/4-inch thickness

  • 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon (15ml) water

Directions

  1. Preheat a medium saucepan over medium heat, add butter, and swirl until melted. Add apple and pear and cook, stirring occasionally, until fruit is tender and has released most of its liquid, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in sugar, cinnamon stick or ground cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 12 to 15 minutes longer. Discard cinnamon stick, if used. Remove from heat and let compote cool to room temperature.

  2. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  3. Using a sharp knife, cut cheese in half horizontally (through the middle). Lay one half on a work surface, cut side up, and spread 3 tablespoons (45ml) of compote evenly over it. Place second half on top and spread another 3 tablespoons (45ml) compote over it.

  4. Place puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface and roll to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Set prepared cheese in center of square, fold dough up and over, and pleat it together on top to enclose cheese. Gently pinch dough together in center to seal gathered pleats. You can tie a bit of kitchen twine on top to hold pleats together if you like, but this is not essential. If dough is no longer cold, chill wrapped cheese for at least 20 minutes. (Cheese can be wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated until ready to bake.)

  5. Set prepared cheese wheel on prepared baking sheet. Brush dough evenly with egg wash. Bake until pastry is crisp and golden brown all over, 25 to 35 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes, then transfer to a platter. Serve any remaining compote alongside.

Special Equipment

Rimmed baking sheet, parchment paper, rolling pin, pastry brush, kitchen twine (optional)

Notes

If possible, use a triple-cream bloomy rind cheese, which has a higher fat content than a double-cream cheese and melts better.

Read More

  • Simple Baked Brie With Honey and Pistachios
  • Baked Brie en Croûte With Thyme and Fig Jam
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
300Calories
19g Fat
26g Carbs
7g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6to 8
Amount per serving
Calories300
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g24%
Saturated Fat 6g32%
Cholesterol 49mg16%
Sodium 215mg9%
Total Carbohydrate 26g9%
Dietary Fiber 1g5%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 1mg7%
Calcium 50mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
Potassium 96mg2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Baked Brie en Croûte With Apple and Pear Compote Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should I remove the rind from brie before baking? ›

No, you don't have to remove the rind before baking brie. The rind is edible and I don't even think you can taste it after the brie is baked. If you want to remove the rind, you can use a sharp knife to carefully cut off the thin rind of the cheese at the top of the wheel. This is easier to do when the brie is cold.

Which apple pairs best with brie? ›

Offering a counterpoint to the creamy Brie, Golden Delicious, Ambrosia and Honeycrisp apples are our recommendation for pairing.

Why is my baked brie rubbery? ›

Why is my baked brie rubbery? This can be two things. If you left the rind of the cheese on, the baked brie may seem like it is rubbery once heated, or the brie was overcooked by leaving it in the oven too long.

Does the cheese skin stay on when serving baked brie? ›

In this baked brie recipe, I do not remove the rind because I need the surface to spread my jam and to add my beautiful nuts and toppings. The rind keeps the wheel of cheese together, and once you take it out of the oven and slice into it, all the gooey deliciousness oozes out like a nice surprise!

Is brie good for your gut? ›

Based on some studies, there are many health benefits of eating brie cheese. According to some studies, it might reduce inflammation and improve immunity. It might also aid in digestion if had in moderation.

How long should brie sit out before baking? ›

Unwrap your Brie and place your wheel on a small piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Note: if you have the time, take the cheese out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for an hour before baking. This is optional but helps the cheese bake more evenly. Bake for 10-20 minutes in the oven.

Can you over bake brie? ›

Be careful not to overbake the brie. The cheese can go from a melty lava-like texture to hard in the middle if it's in the oven for too long. Always bake on a piece of parchment paper as you will use it to transfer the brie from the baking sheet to your serving tray.

How do you know when baked brie is done? ›

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types). Oven: Bake for 15 to 20 minutes (for 250g/80z), or until melted through. For 500g/1lb brie, increase to 25 minutes. To check, gently touch the centre of the brie – it should feel very soft, like it is about to collapse if you press any harder.

Why does baked brie taste like ammonia? ›

It may be a turnoff but it's a consequence of aging, especially for bloomy-rind cheeses like Brie. As these cheeses ripen, their surface molds break down protein into amino acids and one byproduct of that breakdown is ammonia. When a Brie is aging at the creamery on a rack, the ammonia is evacuated through ventilation.

What should I serve on top of brie cheese? ›

What does brie cheese go well with? Seriously so much. You can pair it with something sweet like honey, jam, or berries, or you can go more savory with nuts, veggies, or red pepper jelly.

What jam goes well with brie? ›

Brie cheese is the perfect partner to jam! It pairs beautifully with jam varieties, such as: fig, apricot, blackberry, boysenberry or cherry jam.

How to make brie taste better? ›

As mentioned, brie's mild, yet buttery and nutty flavor pairs well with so many things. Some examples are salami, prosciutto, pickles, apricots, apples, pears, dates, almonds, candied walnuts, and pecans.

Should you take the crust off brie? ›

Not only can you eat the rind, you should eat the rind. Technically, the rind is mold, usually Penicillium candidum, but it's good mold! The rind protects the cheese on the inside and helps to give the cheese its flavor. You're missing out on a big part of the flavor and textural experience if you do not eat the rind.

What do you do with brie rinds? ›

The easiest way to use cheese rinds is to cook them on the grill, griddle or barbecue, hardest side face down. Alternatively, you can simply bake them in the oven until they soften. Serve immediately, perhaps with vegetables or cold cuts.

Are you supposed to eat brie rind on Reddit? ›

But Brie rind is totally edible, I would even dare say its part of the cheese flavor. You see you won't eat just the "mie" the inside of a baguette its boring and it tastes lame: to get the full experience you have to eat the crust too. Eat your Brie Rind.

How to eat brie cheese correctly? ›

To eat Brie, first remove it from your refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. This allows the brie to become softer and more flavorful as it warms. Once softened, simply slice your brie into small wedges, without removing the edible, flavorful rind.

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