Dish It Up:

Balsamic Fig “Baked” Brie

I’ve made this twice in the last month & it’s been well received both times so I thought I’d share it here. It’s a variation on a traditional baked brie - I’ve ditched the puff pastry & apricot preserves for an appetizer with lower fat and more sophisticated flavor.

The quantities of everything will depend on how many people you’re serving, so here’s the basic how-to:

Put a wedge or wheel of Brie in an oven-proof dish with raised sides, ideally only slightly bigger than the piece of cheese. You don’t want a lot of room for the topping to melt off. Spoon store-bought fig preserves over the cheese, until it’s covered with a thick layer of fruit & sprinkle generously with balsamic vinegar. Heat in a 350 degree oven until the cheese has heated through & the preserves are bubbling around the edges (10-15 minutes).

The dish will be screaming hot when you take it out so have a platter or plate ready to put it on. Serve with crackers or sliced bread & watch your friends devour it.

NOTE: You don’t need to buy a really nice brand of Brie for this – the flavor of the fig & vinegar will be dominant, so an inexpensive cheese is fine.

You will want to use a good fig preserves though – not a jam or jelly. It should have real fruit in it with a low amount of added sugar for best results. If you can’t find fig preserves you could also substitute a pear or mango chutney and it would be absolutely delicious.

If, like me, you have a grandmother who will make fig preserves for you from figs off the tree in her backyard, well then - you are very lucky indeed! ☺