Baked Brie with Roasted Garlic and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Baked brie topped with creamy roasted garlic, tomatoes and pine nuts. Wonderful served with crisp crostini and sweet apple slices.
Recipe Ingredients:
1 whole head garlic
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 (12-ounce) round of brie cheese
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and cut into thin strips
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 tablespoons finely shredded fresh basil
Crostini* and apple slices for accompaniment (optional)
Garnish: Sprigs of fresh basil or rosemary, green and black olives (optional)
Cooking Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cut off 1/4 inch of pointed end of head of garlic (save small pieces for another recipe). Place cut side up in a piece of aluminum foil. Place rosemary on top. Bring sides of foil up to make a deep bowl, but do not enclose garlic completely. Pour olive oil over top of garlic. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in preheated oven. Cool.
- Squeeze garlic so that the cloves pop out of their papery jackets. They should be creamy. Smash them and spread on top of brie (including some of the rosemary).
- Place brie in ovenproof dish. Top with tomatoes and pine nuts. Increase oven temperature to 400°F (205°C).
- Bake brie until warm and softened, about 13 to 18 minutes. If topping is getting too browned, cover loosely with aluminum foil during last portion of baking.
- Sprinkle slivers of fresh basil on top. Surround with crostini and/or apple slices. Garnish with sprigs of fresh herbs and, if using, drained olives.
- Provide a spreading knife.
Makes 24 appetizer servings.
*Toasted slices of good bread that have been brushed with a little olive oil before toasting.
Cook's Note: If you can only find small, 4-ounce disks of brie, push 3 small wheels together.
Advance preparation: Garlic can be roasted several days in advance and stored, airtight, in the refrigerator. You can assemble the brie with the garlic, tomatoes and pine nuts a day in advance and store, airtight, in the refrigerator.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/24 of recipe; does not include accompaniments): 71.1 calories; 72% calories from fat; 5.9g total fat; 14.2mg cholesterol; 98.6mg sodium; 94.0mg potassium; 1.6g carbohydrates; 0.3g fiber; 0.1g sugar; 1.3g net carbs; 3.5g protein.
Recipe by Hope Cantil; Photograph courtesy of Sue Ramaley; copyright © 1999; property of CooksRecipes.com. See Terms of Use.