Makin' Friends

So we had just moved to Milwaukee. We had come from the land below the border better known as Chicago. People were giving us alot of latitude. They understood our love for the Cubs. Begrudged our Bears baseball caps.

Our friendly new cheesy neighbors invited us over for a little get together filled with standard Wisconsin fare. When my wife offered to bring some brie...well that got a polite grin and a head nod. We show up at the party and there are cheese curds and white fish; Sprecher beer and California wine. My wife then unviels her baked brie creation and eyes widen in amazement.

The touch of preserves on the top of this pastry wrapped wheel of cheese is beautiful to behold. After the first of our new neighbors dipped into this we were deemed the "best new neighbors - ever." Hopefully we have lived up to that status.

Here's the recipe so you can gain fame and fortune too.

Ingredients

1/2 cup raspberry preserves

1/4 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed

1 13.2-ounce Baby Brie cheese (about 6 to 7 inches in diameter)

1 large egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Stir preserves, berries and rosemary in small bowl to blend. Season berry mixture with pepper. Roll out pastry on lightly floured surface to 12-inch square. Cut top rind off cheese; discard rind. Place cheese, rindless side up, in center of pastry. Spoon raspberry mixture onto cheese. Fold pastry on 2 opposite sides over cheese. Brush remaining 2 sides of pastry with glaze. Fold over cheese; press seams to seal. Brush pastry with glaze; place on baking sheet.

Bake cheese until pastry is deep golden brown (top of pastry may split open), about 30 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes. Place baked cheese on serving platter. Surround with crackers, baguette slices, and grapes.

For an added touch we've cut the extra pastry into seasonal shapes (leaves, pumpkins, fireworks) and attached them the pastry after folding it all in.

-Tom