Baked brie – gooey and straight from the oven – is the perfect crowd-pleaser if you’ve got guests round. This version by Elly McCausland pimps the classic with tangy blackcurrants, buttery pecans and fragrant herbs.

“I like to serve it with Scandinavian-style rye crackers but a good, crusty baguette is also an excellent vehicle for transporting cheese to mouth,” she says. “I highly recommend seeking out blackcurrant vinegar (I get it from demijohn.co.uk), but you could replace it with the more common raspberry vinegar, or a good, syrupy balsamic.”

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Baked brie with blackcurrents
(Polly Webster/PA)
Baked brie with blackcurrents
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Nutrition Facts
Baked Brie recipe with blackcurrants, pecans, honey and herbs
Amount Per Serving
Calories 215 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Cholesterol 42mg14%
Sodium 263mg11%
Potassium 132mg4%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 305IU6%
Vitamin C 22mg27%
Calcium 91mg9%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Baked Brie recipe with blackcurrants, pecans, honey and herbs

The perfect crowd-pleasing starter or snack
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Servings: 6
Calories: 215kcal
Author: Elly McCausland

Equipment

  • Small baking dish

Ingredients

  • 45 g pecan nuts
  • 250 g wedge of brie
  • 70 g fresh or frozen blackcurrants
  • 2 tsp thyme leaves or finely chopped rosemary needles
  • 3 tsp blackcurrant vinegar or balsamic vinegar
  • 3 - 4 tsp runny honey

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas mark 5.
  • Put the pecans in a small oven dish and place in the oven for eight minutes, until toasted. Remove (leave the oven on), set aside to cool, then roughly chop.
  • Take a small baking dish, the right size to fit the piece of brie snugly. Slice the brie horizontally in half (so you have two flat triangles). Put one half in the dish, cut side up. Take half the toasted pecans and press them gently into the cheese. Do the same with the blackcurrants (some will fall off the sides into the dish – that’s fine, but try to get as many as possible on the cheese). Sprinkle over half the thyme or rosemary, then drizzle over half the vinegar and half the honey.
  • Put the other piece of brie on top, rind side upwards (so you have essentially sandwiched the cheese back together as the wedge it was). Press the remaining pecans and blackcurrants onto the top of the cheese (again, some will fall off). Drizzle over the remaining vinegar and honey and sprinkle with the remaining thyme or rosemary.
  • Bake for 10–15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and spread out a little in the dish. Remove from the oven, leave for five minutes, then dive in with crackers or good crusty bread.

Nutrition

Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 263mg | Potassium: 132mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 305IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 1mg

The Botanical Kitchen by Elly McCausland, photography by Polly Webster, is published by Bloomsbury Absolute.

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Elly McCausland celebrates botanicals and wants us to use more in our cooking

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