Apple-maple baked brie
Victor brings a decade of experience in business journalism, having previously reported for Crain's Cleveland Business. He holds an MBA from Case Western Reserve University and focuses on the economic impact of local enterprises. His thorough analysis provides insights into Cleveland's ever-changing business landscape.
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This festive baked Brie is both dead simple -- made in 30 minutes with grocery store ingredients -- and delightfully over-the-top, featuring warm cheese piled high with a sweet and savory apple compote cooked in browned butter. This version forgoes the usual pastry wrapper to let the cheese and apple star, which also gives it a slightly lighter touch alongside a rich holiday meal. The key is to use the kind of basic grocery store Brie or Camembert that has a firm, bright-white papery rind. (If you use a fancier cheese with a natural, bloomy rind, it will quickly collapse in the oven--though it will still be delicious.) Scoring the top of the cheese before baking, like you would the side of a ham, makes it easier to scoop onto apple slices, crackers or even thick pretzels, almost like fondue.