Baked Brie with Sweet and Salty Pecans

Baked Brie with Sweet and Salty Pecans recipe

It’s nearly Christmas so I feel I should be giving you a gift; and with this recipe I really am. Not only is this Baked Brie so quick and delicious, it comes with a side of Sweet and Salty Pecans as a gift with purchase. The recipe makes enough to scatter on top of your oozing Brie and more than enough to inhale with your festive cocktails. All in all it’s a gift of a recipe, because who doesn’t love hot, melty cheese with crunchy, sweet and salty nuts?

In our house, Christmas is cheese heavy. The cheese board is a major feature, whipped out after most meals and often used to replace a meal when the will to cook has disappeared completely. This baked brie dish is pretty versatile, you can whip this out as a nibble in the bloody cold garden with your bubble or 6 hand picked well wrapped up guests or this can be a cheese course all by itself. The pecans are optional, but so worth the no effort it takes to make them. There are plenty too, so your nose can be in the jar for the next couple of days seeing them off. Dipping options available for the brie are numerous, I went for crackers, posh ones, apple slices, sour cherries and some dried apricots. However, you can pad this out to be a meal with some warm baguette or sourdough.

This wonderful little festive dish of melty cheese is ready in less than ten minutes. Which is just as well, frankly, due to the fact I only have about 20 minutes spare between now and the 25th.

Nothing more festive than a large wheel of Brie. This one is around 500g, but you could, of course, use a smaller one if you’re not such a porker as me. Almonds would work well too, if you don’t have pecans, but I had a huge bag of chopped pecans I use for my granola, so they fit the bill brilliantly.

Right, pre heat the oven to 160 degrees fan assisted and line one large baking sheet and one smaller one. Take a large bowl and measure in the icing sugar, smoked paprika or chilli powder and salt and give it a little mix. Whisk in 4 teaspoons of water until smooth-ish.

Tip in the pecans and stir to ensure they’re well coated. Scrape every last bit onto the larger lined baking sheet.

Bake in your pre heated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Keep an eye on them towards the end as you want the nuts to be crisp and golden and by no means burnt.

Leave them to cool slightly then break up and store in an airtight jar, or just eat them straight from the tray by the fistful.

In the meantime, unwrap your brie and place on the smaller lined tray. Drizzle artistically with honey, then cook for around 8 to 10 minutes. If your cheese is smaller, cook for a couple of minutes less. The cheese is ready when it’s just oozing, but not totally melted.

Pop the hot cheese onto a board and sprinkle with your sweet and salty pecans. I added some dried sour cherries too because I love them.

Serve with whatever you like to dip and scoop. I went for crackers, posh ones or make your own, sliced apple and some dried apricots. You could slice up some baguette or tear up some sourdough, or just bury your face in it right there.

And don’t forget you have all those spare pecans to inhale with all your festive cocktails.

Hot cheese is the way forward this Christmas. It’s quick, comforting and comes with a free side of sweet and salty nuts. That’s my kind of gift.

Lucy x

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Baked Brie with Sweet and Salty Pecans recipe

Serves 6-ish, greed dependent

You will just need pans for this

Brie

A good sized Brie, mine was 470g

A generous drizzle honey

Pecans

250g pecans, mine where chopped, but whole are lovely

100g icing sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika or chilli powder for more of a kick

4 teaspoons water

To serve crackers, bread, dried cherries, cranberries and/or apricots, apples

Pre heat your oven to 160 degrees fan assisted and line a large baking tray and a small one for the cheese.

In a large bowl mix together the icing sugar, salt, paprika or cayenne and 4 teaspoons of water until smooth. Tip in the pecans, stir well to ensure the nuts are coated then scrape the whole lot onto a lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, keeping an eye on the nuts so they don’t burn. They’re ready when the nuts are golden, no longer sticky and smelling amazing. Leave to cool then break up and store in an airtight jar.

For your baked brie, drizzle it with honey then pop the whole thing on a lined tray and put into the pre heated oven for around 8 to 10 minutes. Bake for less time if your cheese is smaller. The brie is ready when it’s just oozing but not totally melted.

Transfer the hot cheese to a serving board and sprinkle generously with the spiced pecans and some dried cherries or cranberries if you like. Dig into the hot cheese with crackers, bread, dried fruit, apple slices or just your hands.