Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Have an oven-safe cheese baker or snug casserole dish ready. If using a casserole dish for lifting the cheese out, line it with baking parchment, leaving enough to lift.
- Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chopped dried apricots, rosemary and measured honey. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apricots soften. Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes.
- Gently mix the cooled apricot mixture with the mascarpone and chopped almonds. Carefully slice the brie wheel horizontally into two rounds. Spread the filling evenly over the cut face of the bottom half, then replace the top half.
- Place the filled wheel in the prepared dish. Bake uncovered for about 25–30 minutes, checking from 20 minutes, until the cheese is soft through the center and beginning to bubble at the edges. A very cold wheel or a thick ceramic dish may need longer. If the top browns before the center softens, tent loosely with foil.
- Serve from the cheese baker, or carefully lift the brie by the parchment onto a serving dish. Trim excess parchment with scissors, keeping it clear of the hot cheese. Garnish with honey, rosemary, chopped dried apricot and almonds. Serve warm with bread, crackers and fresh fruit; provide a serving spoon and knife.
Notes
Use oven-safe baking parchment, not wax paper. Chop apricots and almonds small so the filling spreads easily. Cool the cooked fruit before mixing with mascarpone.
Timing: Allow about 15 minutes to prepare and fill the wheel, 5–7 minutes to cook the apricots, 10 minutes to cool the filling and 25–30 minutes to bake. Times vary with the dish and the starting temperature of the cheese.
Yield: One filled 500 g brie wheel. Serve with bread, crackers and fruit; portions depend on the other appetizers offered.