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Baked Brie with Fig Preserves

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Crispy golden brown pastry on top, flaky piecrust on the bottom, and a velvet creaminess oozing mellow flavors with the fruity flavors of figs spiked with red pepper—that’s my Baked Brie with Fig Preserves — a sweet French Louisiana version of a classic baked brie.

Bacon Jam Baked Brie

My Baked Brie with Fig Preserves is a French classic recipe featuring easy-to-find ingredients. (All photos credit: George Graham)

Baking a round of brie cheese in pastry has been around for decades, and I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember—doing it wrong.   I used to simply take the brie out of the package, drape over a sheet of pastry dough, and bake. With all store-bought ingredients, that’s how simple this dish can be. But just adding a few additional ingredients improves this dish with spectacular results.

Brie cheese, named after a region of France, is a rich and creamy cow’s-milk cheese that doesn’t have the strong, pungent characteristics of many French kinds of cheeses. Brie is most often sold in a circular wheel and encased in a rind of mold that is eaten right along with the cheese inside. It is this lighter flavor profile that makes it the perfect candidate for adding flavor like artisan-made fig preserves.

Bacon Jam Baked Brie done in a Cajun recipe.

My Baked Brie with Fig Preserves is brushed with egg wash for baking golden brown.

5.0 from 4 reviews
Baked Brie with Fig Preserves
 
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Recipe by:
Serves: 6 to 8
Ingredients
  • 1 (9-inch) store-bought piecrust
  • 1 apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
  • ½ cup pecan halves
  • 1 (8-ounce) wheel of brie cheese, with rind
  • ½ cup fig preserves
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry sheets, thawed
  • 1 beaten egg
  • Sea salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
  2. Place the piecrust in a baking dish or a disposable aluminum pie pan. Spread the apple slices over the bottom and place the pecans throughout to build a base foundation. Cut the wheel of brie in half through the middle, and position the bottom half over the foundation of the piecrust. Spread the center of the brie with a thick layer of fig preserves. Sprinkle the figs with red pepper flakes. Add the top half of the brie.
  3. Drape one of the puff pastry sheets over the top of the cheese and tuck in the sides along the edge of the pie pan. Cut decorative shapes (leaves, stars, etc.) from the remaining puff pastry dough and add to the top. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sea salt.
  4. Bake in the oven until the top is golden brown and the cheese inside has melted, 40 to 60 minutes.
  5. Serve with crackers on the side.
Notes
The pecans and apple act as a buffer to keep the base of the piecrust as dry as possible to allow the bottom to bake without becoming soggy. No need to precook the apples since they will soften during the baking and add texture to the hot melted cheese. The rind is completely edible and should be left on the cheese. Buy your artisan-made fig preserves at your local farmers market, or if that is not convenient, I see various brands of fig jam in specialty stores nationwide, so try one of those. Feel free to improvise with ingredients; I’ve made this recipe with orange marmalade, satsuma jelly, and even cranberries for a holiday version. It is very versatile. If there are any leftovers, reheat in the oven, not a microwave (to prevent the crust from becoming soggy). Camembert cheese is a good substitute if brie is unavailable.
Rich and creamy with a bacon filling, this Bacon Jam Baked Brie for baked brie is a work of art.

Rich and creamy with a fruity filling, this Baked Brie with Fig Preserves is a work of art.

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Comments

  2. Hi George,is bacon jam easy to make ? I live in Wales ,no way can you buy bacon jam in U K,but I will try and make that recipe.

    Reply

    • Hey Richard – Yes, bacon jam is easy enough, and I’ve seen dozens of recipes online. Give it a try in your kitchen “lab” and let us all know the results. I will share your recipe on Acadiana Table and perhaps you can inspire us all to start jamming. All the best to my UK friend!

      Reply

  3. I’m so glad I found this recipe. When I lived in Baton Rouge, my friend always served this at our potluck parties. She always said it was a secret family recipe. But she was from New York. LOL. Can’t wait to try it.

    Reply

  5. Hi George,

    This sounds wonderful, and I fully intend to try it soon.

    Question-Do you use a pie crust on the bottom and puff pastry on the top?

    Thanks!

    Reply

  6. Can’t wait to try in Alabama. We used to visit Louisiana just for the boudin balls, meat pies, and crawfish. Love this!

    Reply

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