Brûléed Brie ~ this is your wow appetizer for the season ~ you only need a wheel of Brie and some sugar to do this, and the results speak for themselves. Call up a few friends and tell them you’re making Brûléed Brie, then see how long it takes for the doorbell to ring!
Brûlée means burnt in French, and it’s used to describe the process of applying intense heat to a thin layer of sugar to create a brittle caramelized crust on desserts. You probably know it from creme brûlée, but when you think about it, a thin crisp layer of caramel that shatters as you break into it would be a good thing in lots of situations…
TIP: If you’re the type that scrapes off every bit of black from your toast, this might not be the recipe for you. But if you appreciate the smokey flavor of a good char, read on…
Sweet dips aren’t my thing, I don’t go for cookie dough or cheesecake dip, nah, that just sounds so unappealing. But even though this Brie has a sweet element to it, the charred bits, plus the natural saltiness of the cheese, balances it out beautifully. You won’t feel like you’re eating dessert, trust me. Although, come to think of it, this would be a great way to end a meal, too. Go figure.
Tips for brûléeing ~
- Don’t try to caramelize your sugar in the broiler, it just doesn’t work.
- Invest in a kitchen torch, they aren’t expensive, they’re easy to use, and they’re easy to store.
- Use regular white sugar, it melts and caramelizes the best.
- Do a few practice runs with some sugar on a baking sheet to get the hang of it before sacrificing an entire wheel of Brie.
- If you completely mess up, carefully flip the Brie over and try again 😉
- Embrace the burn, there will be black bits.
The caramel crust will shatter as you charge into it with your cheese knife. So. Good.
Love baked Brie? Me too, and I have a few other recipes you need to try ~
- EASY BAKED BRIE WITH FIGS AND HONEY
- BAKED BRIE WITH APPLES PECANS AND MAPLE SYRUP
- BAKED BRIE WITH MAPLE ROASTED CRANBERRIES
- MINI BAKED BRIE EN CROUTE
Brûléed Brie
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Brie wheel
- 1 Tbsp granulated white sugar, castor sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Put the wheel of Brie in a shallow baking dish that is a little larger in diameter than the cheese. You will be using this as your serving dish, too. Bake the cheese for about 7 minutes or until the cheese is soft to the touch.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle the top of the cheese evenly with the sugar. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar. (See tips for using a kitchen torch in the post above.)
- Let cool for a minute or two, to let the caramelized layer harden. Serve the Brie right away with crackers or a fresh baguette.
Nutrition
Make it your own ~
- You can use a larger 16 ounce wheel of Brie if you need to feed a bigger crowd. Bake it for 12 minutes, and use 2 tablespoons of sugar.
- Looking for more excuses to get out your new kitchen torch? I’ve made OATMEAL BRÛLÉE and even GRAPEFRUIT BRÛLÉE and they’re both healthy ways to start the day.
- If you want to go the more conventional route, try a Double Chocolate Creme Brûlée, or this French Cafe au Lait Creme Brûlée.
Don’t forget to pin this Brûléed Brie!
Do you scrape all the ‘stuff of the brie first?
No, I leave the rind on.
amazing idea!!
I thought so 😉
You just took baked brie to a whole new level! This looks incredible!!
Thanks Laura <3
This is definitely a “WOW” appetizer! It would be a perfect way to start a holiday dinner party. I’d just worry that guests would eat so much they wouldn’t have room for dinner! Hey, why wait for a dinner party, I think I need to run to the store for brie!
Bring on the brulee! Mastering a controlled char on all sorts of food is the sign of a good cook. GREG
Not sure I mastered it, Greg, but it was goooood!
Wow! What a beautiful looking brie! Love the idea of bruleeing! I just want to dig in to this 🙂
That looks so gooey and marvelous! The only problem is how could you walk away having just one or two bites? Gosh..I wish I could dig right in!
That’s precisely why there are only a few photos in this post, Angie 😉 We just tore off pieces of the fresh baguette and had at it ~ food blogging is hard work!
You really have a way with gooey, baked brie appetizers Sue! This is another gorgeous recipe I cannot wait to try. The only problem is that I want to eat this for dinner – not an appetizer 🙂
I like the way you think 🙂