I discovered the indulgent buttery goodness of baked Brie sometime in the late 1970s or early 1980s. I had a passion for cooking but little technique and less experience, and I made a version of this dish for the first time in my toaster oven, without the bread. I sautéed almonds and served with sliced apples on the side.
Later, the first time I made it with bread, I didn’t close the dough tight enough and the cheese oozed out while the dough crisped up, like toast. It didn’t look pretty, but it was amazingly good. And this recipe is even better. You can serve this with apple slices, pear slices, or celery sticks. Buttery crackers will do the trick, too.
I suggest using the puff pastry to bring this sweet, crunchy treat to your mouth one bite at a time. Simply decadent, this dish is perfect either before a special meal or for dessert. There’s one last step: Prepare for compliments.
Excerpted from Valerie’s Home Cooking by Valerie Bertinelli. Copyright © 2017 Oxmoor House. Reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, a division of TimeInc. New York, NY. All rights reserved.