Brie en Croute with Cranberry Jam: An Edible Present Everyone Will Want to Open

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Lean your ear this way, Santa…

Christmas Eve is coming soon. If I could wake up Christmas morning to a warm brie en croute under the tree, it would be the happiest holiday ever.

I don’t want new socks this year. I don’t want a gift card to Massage Envy. I don’t even want that new chef’s knife I’ve been eyeing up.

Because all I want for Christmas is cheese.

Brie en croute is just like a Christmas present, anyway. Rip open those flaky, buttery layers of golden brown puff pastry to get a surprise inside: a warm, oozing, gooey pool of melted cheese!

But if Santa can’t bring me one (fine, I’ll take that gift card…), it’s easy to make at home. With a premade puff pastry dough, a wheel of brie, a dollop of jam, and an egg to stick everything together, the recipe is simple!

We’ll provide you with a step-by-step tutorial for prepping this pastry so that you have a visual guide for how to prep, wrap, and bake.

The most important consideration is timing: if you’re planning on serving this warm from the oven for a party, make sure you think about the time required for prepping, chilling, baking, and cooling. Everyone will go crazy when they see that perfectly melted, thick cheese slowly pouring out of the pastry!

For this recipe, we spread the cheese with a tart cranberry jam before wrapping it in puff pastry dough. Though you can use your favorite jam, jelly, or marmalade, I love using a cranberry jam for the winter holiday season. And the bright, pleasantly sour fruit is the exact contrast your palate needs with the thick and milky cheese and buttery crust.

For more homemade spreads to use, try some of our recipes:

• Pomegranate Cranberry Sauce
• Spicy Chili Zucchini Marmalade
• Chocolate Cranberry Mole
• Hot Pepper Jelly
• Strawberry Basil
• Homemade Classic Cranberry Sauce
• Roasted Cranberries

When it comes to choosing what spread to use, the brie is in your court! Wrapped in puff pastry and baked with cheese, any selection is bound to be a delicious accompaniment.

So get that puff pastry thawed – we need to bake!

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep

The night before baking, thaw the puff pastry in the freezer.

When you’re ready to bake, set out the thawed dough and brie. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Measure the jam. Whisk the egg in a small bowl.

For more information on brie, read our thorough guide on how to buy, store, and prepare it!

Step 2 – Prep the Puff Pastry

Set out the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour the top. With a rolling pin, roll it in a square shape until it is about 2 inches wider than the circumference of the wheel on all sides.

You won’t need to flatten it too much. A premade puff pastry already has the right thickness you need, about 1/8 inch.

Depending on the original size and shape of your puff pastry, you may need to trim the edges to get a square shape. I like to place the wheel on top while I’m measuring for a visual aid.

Save any excess dough for making decorations during a later step!

Step 3 – Spread the Jam

With a small spoon or offset spatula (you’ll risk cutting the pastry if you try to use a knife), gently spread the jam in the center of the puff pastry in a circular shape slightly smaller than the size of the cheese.

Step 4 – Top with the Brie

Place the wheel directly on top of the jam, pressing down gently.

Step 5 – Fold

Fold one corner of the dough towards the center of the wheel. With a pastry brush, brush a thin layer of the whisked egg on top of the tip of one corner.

The egg will help the other corners of the dough stick and stay in place as it is baking.

Fold the opposite corner on top, gently pressing so the corners stick together. Brush another thin layer of the egg on top. Repeat folding with the other opposite corners.

Fold up any excess dough, and press it into the brie.

Step 6 – Flip

Carefully flip it over so the smooth side is now facing up. Use your hands to gently press, shape, and mold any excess dough towards the bottom, making sure the top and sides of the brie are completely smooth.

Press down gently on the brie to flatten any excess dough on the bottom.

Step 7 – Make and Apply Decorations

Remember that excess dough? Perfect opportunity to make some pretty decorations!

Use cookie cutters to make any shapes you want. For small circles, I like to use a large circle piping tip.

Lightly brush any decorations with the whisked egg and stick them on top of the brie en croute.

Step 8 – Chill

At this point, your dough and cheese are soft and at room temperature. You need to re-chill them before baking.

This step is essential when making brie en croute! To ensure that the dough and cheese do not soften and melt prematurely during the baking step, chill for one hour in your freezer until firm. You’ll be able to pick it up with your hands without feeling any excessive softness.

This will help to re-harden the dough and cheese so it bakes properly, without turning into a melty, gloopy mess halfway through baking.

As the brie en croute is chilling, preheat the oven to 400°F.

Step 9 – Bake

Remove from the freezer and place on the prepared sheet pan. Thinly brush the top and sides of the brie with the reserved whisked egg.

Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350°F. Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is puffy and is a deep golden brown color.

Step 10 – Cool and Serve

And here is another essential step – after removing from the oven, let it cool for 15 minutes!

If you were to serve it immediately, the cheese will be waaaaaay too hot, and waaaaaay too liquidy to serve. Spare the disaster of burnt mouths, and let it sit at room temperature to slightly cool down the cheese and to allow it to thicken.

Once it has cooled slightly, you can then transfer to a serving platter and serve!