If you come to my Halloween party this year, you can try out this delicious appetizer in person. I had just never thought of pairing cheese with sugar, spices and nuts before.

But now that the idea has been surfaced, it is stuck in my mind. I seriously doubt that I will make it to Halloween before this graces my table.

I know that I am going to have to make one more trip to the market this month, and I need a special kind of flour I can only buy at one market. The market with the specialty cheese shop….

 

INGREDIENTS

1 (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry (see Note)

1 tablespoon butter

½ cup coarsely chopped pecans

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (16-ounce) wheel Brie

¼ cup brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

For the Eyes

Sliced apples

Pecans pieces, dried cranberries, or raisins for eyes

 

INSTRUCTIONS

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Thaw puff pastry on the counter for approximately 15 to 20 minutes and unfold.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté the pecans in the butter until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon and stir until pecans are coated well. Set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a 14-in. square. Cut off corners to make a circle.

Place Brie in the center of the pastry. Place the pecan mixture on top of the Brie and sprinkle the brown sugar over the mixture. Fold pastry over cheese, trimming as necessary, and pinch edges to seal.

Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, seam side down. Roll remaining pastry into a 14-in. square. Cut four 1-in. strips; cut strips in half crosswise. Wrap strips around Brie, trimming as necessary. You don’t want to make too thick of a layer of strips or it won’t cook all the way through. Discard scraps. Brush the beaten egg over top and sides of Brie.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

For the Eyes:  Cut two circles from apple slices; place on top of Brie as eyes. Top each circle with a dried cranberry, raisins, or pecan pieces. Serve warm with apple slices and crackers.

 

Recipe Notes:

Brie comes in either 8 ounce wheels or 16 ounce wheels. If you use an 8 ounce wheel you will only need 1 sheet of puff pastry. Use the trimmed dough, roll it out and cut strips for the mummy. If you have too much puff pastry dough layered it won’t bake all the way through so make sure you roll it thin enough.

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Quick Tip:  To get the best results with your puff pastry, make sure it has completely thawed (best done overnight in the fridge) before you unfold it. Flour not only your work surface, but also the rolling pin to avoid sticking and pulling of dough (makes it tough, not flaky). Roll it gently (too much pressure kills the flaky texture as it compresses the layers). After you have it wrapped around the brie, pop it into the fridge while you preheat the oven, to solidify the butter for puffier results. Make this appetizer as close to serving time as possible, as the puffiness does not last.

Recipe and image courtesy of Christy at The Girl Who Ate Everything