Every year my parents host Thanksgiving which I am forever grateful for. Food is my love language, so having a holiday surrounded by good food and all of our family makes it one of my favorite days of the year. About 20 family members give or take all travel to the beautiful hamlet of Callicoon to feast and most importantly spend time with family. Each family is very good about contributing in some way, whether it be providing soft drinks,  appetizers, sides, or dessert... and we always end up with heaps of leftovers. My Aunt Megan in particular always brings phenominal creative dishes. I never enjoyed sweet potatoes until trying her famous casserole. It’s loaded with marshmellows, butter and brown sugar so maybe that’s why I liked it so much. She also brought baked brie in puffed pastry ,and I still remember eating it to this day. Turns out it is extremely simple to make but will really impress your guests which is why I like this recipe so much.  This holiday appetizer is the ultimate. It’s brie cheese wrapped in pastry. How could that possibly be bad? 

You will need:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (thawed but still cold)

All purpose flour for rolling

1 (8-14) oz wheel brie

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup fig jam or your favorite preserves  (cranberry sauce, walnuts, or honey also add an amazing topping!)

Crackers and sliced apples for serving

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with some parchment and set aside (or you can bake your brie in a pie plate!) Dust a work surface with a small amount of flour and unwrap your puffed pastry. Coat the rolling pin with a little flour and roll out the puff pastry into a large square. The rest is extremely simple. Place your round wheel of brie in the middle of the pastry and top with ¼ cup of your favorite jam, preserves, or cranberry sauce! I have seen this made with some nuts added for added texture, and drizzled honey is always a nice touch. Fold the corners over the brie forming a neat package. Make sure your pastry is still cool (refrigerate for 10 minutes if it’s turned warm) and brush with a beaten egg. Bake until golden brown for about 35 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes, transfer to a serving platter, and serve warm with crackers and sliced apples!