With just a few ingredients and a few minutes of prep time you can absolutely wow your guests and kick off the holiday festivities with this amazing appetizer. This is not your typical ordinary baked Brie recipe. I’ve elevated it to a new level of gourmet with layers of phyllo dough encasing the wheel of Brie and it’s brandied cranberry topping accented with just a hint of rosemary and Dijon and a touch of spice. Everyone will “oh and ah” over your amazing culinary talents, the beautiful presentation and how fabulously delicious your Phyllo Wrapped Brandied Cranberry Baked Brie is!
Recipe and photo by Gwynn Galvin, Culinary Consultant and Creator of Swirls of Flavor.
Phyllo Wrapped Brandied Cranberry Baked Brie
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sweetened dried cranberries, from 1 (12 oz.) pkg.
½ cup brandy or Cognac
½ cup hot pepper jelly
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or ¼ tsp. dried crushed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
12 frozen phyllo sheets, thawed, from 1 (16 oz.) pkg.
6 tablespoon butter, melted
1 (35.2 oz.) Brie wheel, 8” diameter
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or coat with cooking spray.
2. In microwave safe bowl combine cranberries and brandy. Microwave 1 to 2 minutes or until hot. Stir in jelly, rosemary and Dijon. Let stand.
3. Meanwhile, reserve 1 tablespoon melted butter. Place one phyllo sheet on prepared baking sheet; brush with melted butter to coat; top with one phyllo sheet. Repeat with remaining butter and phyllo sheets.
4. Trim and discard rind from top of Brie. Place Brie, trimmed side up, in center of layered phyllo sheets. Spread cranberry mixture over top of Brie.
5. Bring corners of dough up over Brie leaving center uncovered.
6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until pastry is golden. Let stand 30 minutes to 1 hour.
7. Transfer to serving plate. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs and serve with apple slices, grapes, and crackers.
Makes 12 servings.
Gwynn Galvin, chef and blogger, is delighted to share her original recipes on Jersey Bites. Born and raised in Jersey and a lifetime resident of Bergen County, Gwynn is Jersey through and through! Having been in the culinary field for more than 20 years, you can say that Gwynn is definitely well seasoned. With over a decade as Test Kitchen Director for a nationally published magazine as well as working for major food corporations and being partner and chef of a family-owned cupcake shop, Gwynn is also the creator of her blog, Swirls of Flavor. Her award-winning recipes have been featured in national ad campaigns, cookbooks, magazines, social media and on the internet. If you’ve ever made a recipe that was on the package of a food product or in a magazine or cookbook, chances are you’ve already made one of her fabulously delicious recipes!
A few weeks ago, my fiancé and I had the pleasure of attending a waterfront holiday tasting from Kings Food Markets and 
