Connoisseur Michael's Baked Brie

I’ve always wanted to make baked brie, but never did it until just recently due to the fact that the recipe calls for phyllo dough.  Phyllo dough, while quite easy to acquire, is notoriously difficult to use.  Firstly, you really have to plan ahead – most phyllo dough comes frozen and you need to thaw it in the fridge, then you need to remove it from the fridge for about two hours before you actually work with it.  Since I was planning a dinner party for a few friends of mine I had the wherewithal to set myself a phyllo time table and actually go about the making of baked brie for the first time.

What you will need:

One wheel of brie

One jar of jam (I used raspberry, but any will work)

Butter

Take your wheel of brie and spread the top with a healthy amount of jam. 

Layer a piece of phyllo dough on top and wrap around the brie.  This step is more difficult than it sounds; the phyllo is very thin and prone to ripping.  If you can’t quite get it use two sheets instead of one.  Brush your wrapped brie with melted butter.  At this point all you need do is continue to wrap and butter the brie up, flipping the wheel each time so that the rough and smooth surfaces of phyllo alternate.  Keep track of what side the jam is on though, since you’ll want to bake and serve the brie jam side up. 

When you have wrapped and buttered the brie to your heart’s content you can store it in the fridge for a few hours or a night, or you can bake it immediately.  Bake the wheel at 350 degree for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let the wheel cool for about 10 minutes before you serve it. 

Baked brie is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.  Serve with plenty of crackers and some fresh fruit.