Baked Brie with Cherries & Nuts

Start your holiday festivities with a French-inspired baked Brie appetizer.

Recipe Ingredients:

1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 small wheel (8 ounces) Brie cheese
1/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries (about 12 cherries)
2 tablespoons apricot jam
1 large egg

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Coarsely chop nuts and place half the nuts on the baking sheet, shaping them into a circle the size of the "rie Reserve remaining nuts.
3. Remove wrapping from Brie With a sharp knife split Brie in half horizontally.
4. Mix together the cherries and jam, spread the mixture on the bottom half of the Brie and then sandwich Brie pieces back together, pressing well.
5. Whisk the egg in another shallow bowl. Dip the Brie on all sides into the egg mixture. Then press egg-dipped Brie into the nuts on the baking sheet.
6. Cover the top of the Brie with remaining nuts, pressing nuts into Brie to adhere.
7. Bake for about 15 minutes or until nuts are toasty and cheese is soft.

Makes 8 servings.

Recipe created by the Kathy Casey Food Studios for the National Sweet Cherries Foundation.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of NationalCherries.com, through ECES, Inc., Electronic Color Editorial Services.