Baked Brie with Apricot Chutney

This is a great holiday treat. Chutney makes enough for two-16 oz brie wheels.



Cut the hard edges of brie.


After stacking five layers of phyllo, brushing each layer with melted butter, top the chutney onto brie.


Fold in pleats, gently covering the brie and chutney.


After sealing the pleats with the sixth butter phyllo sheet, take seventh buttered fold it into a 1/4" band, brush it, then crimp the bottom edge to make a rosette.


Place the rosette on top, using additional butter to adhere it. Chill it in refrigerator for an hour until butter hardens. Can be made ahead up to three days. Bake on a foiled pan for 15-20 minutes. Foil tent the rosettes if it browns too quickly.


Brie with Apricot Chutney

Chutney

2 tablespoon of unsalted butter
1/2 large onion, chopped
6 ounces dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 ounces dried cranberries
1 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (optional)
1 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoons grated lemon peel
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds, toasted

Heat 2 Tbsp. of butter on a frying pan and sauté onion, set aside in pan. In a food processor, coarsely process all the ingredients EXCEPT toasted almonds. Add to onion in a pan and heat until all sugar dissolves, 5-10 minutes. Off heat and chill. Add almond slivers.

Cheese and Phyllo
½ cup (4 oz) unsalted butter, melted
7 sheets of fresh phyllo pastry sheets or frozen, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (optional)

One 16 ounce wheel of Brie

Presentation
Fresh herb sprigs (such as rosemary, sage,a and chives)
Toasted baguettes or melba toast




Assembly of cheese and phyllo:
Trim the hard edges of brie as shown.
Take a sheet of phyllo, brush the whole surface of the delicate sheet with melted butter, sprinkling with chopped rosemary (if desired). Repeat 4 more times, resulting in 5 layers of buttered sheets. Place trimmed brie in the middle, spoon half of the apricot chutney (make a second one or reserve chutney for later, will keep in fridge for 3-4 weeks, or freeze up to 3 months).
Fold buttered phyllo as shown. Brush with melted butter. Cover the whole thing with another buttered sheet, sealing any edges. Butter 7th phyllo sheet, fold into a ¼ inch band, butter again and make a rosette to place on top. Chill for at least 1 hour. Can be made ahead up to 3 days, tightly covered in plastic, and refrigerated.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake cheese until pastry is deep golden brown, covering roses loosely with foil if browning too quickly, about 15-20 minutes. (If cheese leaks from pastry during baking, press piece of foil over tear in pastry; continue baking.)
Cool cheese on sheet 10-15 minutes before serving.

Garnish with fruit, herbs and crackers.