As you can see from the last few posts I have been busy experimenting with Cheese making. Out of all the experiments I found the process of making Brie the most fascinating, even if not the most successful. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a success but I need to practice it more. The collage shows various stages of the cheese with the bloom forming over the curds to make a white rind. The process takes at least a few months . I could have been neater from the beginning with the curds . But I ended up with nice even smooth rind. Out of curiosity I cut into a wheel and found my rind completely formed and it very runny inside. It was also a tad salty. The trick is to maintain proper temps in your fridge with aide of plastic boxes and later cheese wrapping paper, to create and control the climate and humidity . Did I follow the temps exacatly? No , but I did the best I could with what I had and pretty pleased with the result. Like with the Feta, I followed two recipes from Home Cheesemaking and The Cheesmaker. I’m going to continue to age the other wheel and track the changes and see how far I can take it.
I don’t think I will be offering my clients my homemade Brie anytime soon, but I did make this great dish for a recent Baby Shower I catered. Imagine hot oozing Brie baked in its crate and topped with caramelized onions to be scooped on bread or crackers. It will be hit for your holiday entertaining and a different twist on the old Brie wrapped in pasty and filled with jam. I adapted this go to recipe from Hors d’Oeuvre at Home with the Culinary Institute of America.
| Warm Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions |
Recipe type: Coco Cooks
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 45 mins
Appetizer
Ingredients
- 1 wheel of Brie frozen for 30 minutes in wooden crate
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2-3 large onions thinly sliced
- 4 cloves of garlic chopped
- Fresh Thyme minced
- 1/2 cup Sherry or Cognac
- Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a skillet, melt butter.
- Add onions and saute until tender. Reduce heat. Do not brown the onions. Constantly stir until onions soften.
- Add garlic and salt and Thyme..
- Continue to cook onions until the start to become golden and soften.
- At 10 minutes intervals add a bit of the sherry or cognac and continue to cook onions on a low heat as they absorb the liquid. Continue to stir. Repeat this until all the liquid is used and the onions are soft and brown.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Remove onions from heat and reserve or refrigerate until ready to use.
- Freeze Brie for 30 minutes before baking. This prevents the cheese from running out of the wooden crate.
- Cut off the top rind only.
- Spread the caramelized onions on top of Brie.
- Cover with foil and place wheel of Brie back in crate.
- Place cheese on a baking sheet and bake for approx 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Serve in its wooden box.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I make something similar… we call it camembert chaud and it never accoured to me to freeze the cheese first to give it added firmness and for it not to ooze too much. I believe that would also work well with a brie en croute recipe, no???
and you’re super brave to try cheesemaking on your own… cool!!!
you’re making brie? There is no end to your talent.
The thought of some brie and onions right now is making me drool!
You never cease to amaze me, Courtney. A cheese maker now, unbelievable!!! Your Baby Shower dish looks awesome! I’m going to a shower in a few weeks. Boy, I wish you were catering!!!
Thanks for sharing…
P.S. It’s my blogoversary and I’m having a Cookbook Party!!! Come see…
You are one talented cook! This looks so delicious and just perfect for any party.
I would love to try making my own cheese. That is so interesting.
A lovely Brie recipe. So scrumptious looking and sounding!
Cheers,
Rosa
I commend you on making your own cheeses! Maybe one day I will give it a try. . . or maybe I will just go to Trader Joe’s!
this looks outragesly declicious! i am a sucker for cheese, esp brie! and, it just so happens that i am having some girlfriends over thurday and this is now on the top of my to-do list! i’ve never thought of the combination, but it sounds and looks mouth-watering!
Wow. You’re making cheese too! Go on with your bad self.
I love baked Brie and I love caramelized onions. I will be making this recipe.
This looks so yummy! I am loving reading about you cheesemaking adventures!