Taya Starling

It’s National Cheese Lover’s Day which is basically like my personal Valentine’s Day because I love cheese just about as much as I love chocolate (which is a lot). Honestly I could eat cheese in some form every single meal and be happy. Just think, cream cheese & jelly stuffed French toast for breakfast- or for the savory, soft scrambled eggs topped with shaved pecorino, truffle salt, and some fresh cracked pepper… for lunch a salad with a nice creamy fresh burrata and some figs, then for dinner a nice cheese & charcuterie board before a creamy lobster mac and cheese served alongside some roasted brussel sprouts or roasted chicken with a cheesy polenta and some bacon wrapped green beans sprinkled with some Parmesan… 🤤 🤤 🤤 Then of course some kind of cheesecake for dessert, duh.

Not on that menu, however, is one of my favorite ways to serve cheese- baked. Give me a nice baked Brie or Camembert any time, any day of the week. Especially if it’s in a puff pastry or served with fresh baked bread OMGIMDROOLINGONMYKEYBOARD.

Usually I just wrap a pretty little round of Brie or Camembert up in some pastry and bake it then drizzle the baked cheese with some truffle honey or a nice fig jam but when the occasion rises to be a lil fancy, I whip out this baked Camembert recipe because it’s a little extra effort but still so easy but looks like a lot of work. You still with me? Here’s what you’ll need for this snowflake baked Camembert with bacon and cranberry pastry.

Ingredients

• 1 round of camembert cheese

• 2 sheets puff pastry

• 3 tbsp cranberry sauce (you can also use a cranberry or fig jam)

• crispy bacon bits (as much or as little as you want)

• 1 egg white

• Olive oil

• Rosemary (fresh sprigs or dried rosemary)

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (that’s 180 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

• Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface. Place a large mixing bowl or a plate on top of the pastry sheet. Cut around the bowl/ plate to form a circle (around 9-10 inch diameter).

• Repeat step 2 with the second sheet of pastry. (* I usually buy pastry that comes circle shaped specifically for pie so I don’t have to bother with this 😂)

• Place one circle pastry on the prepared baking sheet. Spread cranberry sauce over the pastry, leaving middle center untouched. Sprinkle bacon bits over the cranberry sauce and then cover with the second sheet of circle cut pastry.

• Place the camembert cheese in the center of the circle pastry and then cut around the circle. Discard the cut pastry and place the cheese in the open center.

• Cut the circle pastry in 16 equal segments. You can do this by cutting the circle first into 4 equal segments. Then, cut each segment in half and then in half once more, ending with 16 segments in total.

• Lift one segment, twist once to the right and place it down. Then lift the segment next to it and twist once to the left and place it down. Keep going around, alternating the direction of the twist. Finally, bring up edges of two segments with opposite twist and press together. It may sound confusing but as you do it, it’s super easy- I promise.

• Brush the pastry with egg wash. Make 3-4 slits on top of the cheese and then drizzle the cheese with some olive oil. Sprinkle rosemary leaves (or place a few sprigs is fresh rosemary) over the cheese and pastry. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is a golden brown.

• Remove from oven, slide on to a plate and watch everyone drown in cheesy warm ecstasy while praising your amazing prowess in the kitchen. You’re welcome.