Baked Brie with Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Baked brie with strawberry rhubarb jam

I think Spring might be my favourite time of year. All the plants start to come back to life, I can finally plant my garden and the sun starts to shine with a bit more warmth. But I think what I like most about spring is that after several months of the same winter vegetables, suddenly the selection at the market begins to change. Regardless of the weather, you know it’s spring when fresh rhubarb starts making an appearance.

This past week we were celebrating my uncle-in-laws 65th birthday. I was asked to bring an appetizer and I thought it was only right to feature some of this wonderful, fresh, spring produce. Strawberries and rhubarb are a traditional combination and I thought, together, they would be delightful on top of baked brie. So here it is, my recipe for Baked brie with strawberry rhubarb jam (and fried walnuts). The picture I’ve included was taken before it was baked. I thought it looked a little like a birthday cake, which seemed pretty fitting given the occasion this was made for. Just a warning: the jam itself is highly addictive and delicious and there’s absolutely no shame in eating it straight from the pot ;).  Enjoy!

 

1 6″ wheel of brie

3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil, divided

1/4 Cup shallot, minced

1 Cup rhubarb, diced

1 Cup strawberries, diced

1/4 Cup dried figs, diced

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 Cup honey

2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1/2 Cup walnut pieces

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Strawberry rhubarb jam:

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute for a minute or two, until beginning to soften. Add the Rhubarb and figs and cook for about 2 minutes before adding the strawberries. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the cinnamon and honey and continue to simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened. Set aside.

Fried Walnuts:

2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1/2 Cup walnut pieces

In a small frying, heat the oil and rosemary together over low to medium heat. Add the walnuts and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the walnuts are golden. Remove the walnuts from the pan and place them on paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Set aside.

Slice the brie in half horizontally. Place one half, cut side up, on an oven proof dish. Spread half the jam mixture over top, then place the second half of the brie, cut side up, on top. Spread the remaining jam over the brie and top with the fried walnuts. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Serve with crackers or a sliced baguette.

Strawberry Brie Tarts

Every once in a while a recipe idea pops into my head that I can’t seem to let go of. This one all started with the strawberry mint smoothie I was having for breakfast. I love the flavour of strawberry and mint together and somehow my mind had me putting those flavours on top of brie cheese. It just seemed like something that would be amazing together. From there the idea evolved into the recipe below.

The idea of working with phyllo dough can be intimidating. It certainly makes the recipe seem more complicated, but it’s really not that difficult to work with. Phyllo dough is quite delicate and it can dry out quickly, so be gentle with it and it helps to lay a damp cloth over the sheets you’re not working with. This recipe only uses 4 sheets, so if you’ve never worked with phyllo before this is a good introduction.

The Maple syrup in the recipe is optional. It all depends on how sweet the strawberries are. The ones I was using were a little tart, so I needed to sweeten them up a bit. If you have really sweet strawberries, you can get away without it.

I hope you enjoy the tarts as much as I did!

Strawberry Brie Tarts with mint and balsamic vinegar

 

3 Tbsp Butter

1 Onion, diced

1 Cup Strawberries, diced

2 Tbsp Maple Syrup (optional)

1/2 Cup Mint, chopped

4″ Round Brie

4 sheets Phyllo dough

1/4 Cup Balsamic reduction

 

Preheat oven to 35o degrees farenheit.

Melt 1 Tbsp of butter in a small saucepan. Add onions and saute until softened and beginning to brown. Add in strawberries and maple syrup. Stir. Saute for another 5 minutes until strawberries are softened. Remove from heat and stir in the mint. Set aside.

Melt remaining 2 tbsp of butter. Working quickly lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough on work surface and brush with melted butter. Repeat with remaining 3 layers. Cut into 24 squares. Gently form the squares into a mini muffin pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden.

While the pastry is cooking, cut the brie into 1/2″ cubes. Place a cube of brie in each cooked pastry shell, top with strawberry mixture and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Garnish with Balsamic Reduction.