Rich and creamy brie topped with jam and baked inside a pastry shell until oozing and golden is one of the easiest and most delicious appetizers you will ever make! This version uses easy homemade pie crust instead of store-bought puff pastry: a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
1small to medium wheel of brieanywhere from 8 to 14 oz.
For the dough:
½cupflourall-purpose, whole wheat, etc. + more if needed
½teaspoonsugar
1/8teaspoonsalt
2.5tablespoonsbuttervery cold
2-3tablespoonsice water
Jam
Untoasted sliced almondsif desired
Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Cut the butter into 1/4-inch cubes and sprinkle over the dough. Pinch the cubes between your fingers to flatten while working the butter into the flour with your hands: your goal is to have as many tiny flakes of butter distributed throughout the flour as possible—big chunks of butter are not allowed, unless you want greasy holes in your crust.
Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and stir until a pliable dough comes together. Add more water, a teaspoon at a time, if dough seems dry or crumbly.
A few minutes before the dough is done resting, preheat your oven to 375F. 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, your dough may be able to entirely enclose the brie. With my larger 13.5 oz. wheel, I was only able to cover the top and sides of the brie, tucking the edges underneath.
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 and place on a baking sheet, 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.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and drizzle with honey. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.