Baked Brie with Orange Glazed Pecans and Birch Syrup

I’ve been wanting to make baked brie for a while and finally came up with the perfect combination of ingredients to try on New Year’s Eve.  It was megasimple to make, just not so megasimple to eat.  I mean, don’t get me wrong we managed, it was just a little messy. 

The ingredients: Double Crème Brie, brown sugar, puff pastry, orange glazed pecans, Organic Birch Syrup (sold at Stella Leona), egg and salt for eggwash (not pictured).  Nutmeg (pictured, but not needed).

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Simmer 4 T. syrup and 1 T. of brown sugar.  Chop 1 c. of the whole pecans.  Paint edge of brie with syrup mixture and roll in chopped nuts.  Combine remainder of chopped nuts in syrup mixture and simmer. Roll out one sheet of puff pastry.

Paint small circle on puff pastry with syrup and nut mixture.  Placed brie on top and add remaining  syrup and nut mixture.

Fold puff pastry up around the brie leaving the center open.  Make an egg wash with 1 egg and approximately 1/2 tsp of salt.  Paint brie with egg wash to make the finished pastry golden brown.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until puffy and golden brown.

 

While it was baking I simmered 3 more T. of syrup with a few more nuts to pour over top after it came out of the oven because I didn’t think I had originally made enough.  It was a good decision. 

We served it with ciabatta bread and golden delicious apples.  We were hungry and a little anxious to try it.  Although we let it set for 20 minutes, it wasn’t quite ready to be cut. 

And when I did…

This happened.  It was like a little brie volcano.  Next time I’ll let it set up for at least 45 minutes before cutting. 

The brie, pecans and syrup were really an excellent combination and have inspired several other recipes I want to try. I just need to get some more pecans from Stella Leona.  Oh and the nutmeg…I forgot to add it, but the pecans are seasoned so perfectly that it really wasn’t necessary.  In fact, with my future recipes, I probably won’t add the brown sugar either.