Baked Brie with Pear Compote
Baked Brie with Pear Compote is an easy and impressive cheese appetizer that’s always a show-stopper! The flavor combination of the sweet pear and creamy brie is absolutely delicious! It’s a match made in culinary heaven!
This is a beautiful holiday appetizer and pairs well with red or white wine or champagne!
The term “Brie en Croute” is French for “brie baked in a pastry crust,” and this popular cheese recipe takes it a step further by incorporating a delicious pear compote!
What is Brie?
Brie is a French cheese made from cow’s milk and is from the region of Brie, France.
It’s an extremely creamy cheese with a bit of a fruity, nutty and tangy flavor. You’ll find some nice brie cheese in the gourmet cheese section or deli section of your grocer! If you can’t find Brie, you can substitute with Camembert cheese – both are soft, buttery cheeses that melt beautifully!
What is compote?
A compote is like a thick jam or preserve…it’s a fruit that is cooked or preserved in sugar, juice, wine or syrup.
It’s a bit thicker than a sauce, but not quite as dense as a jam, jelly or preserve and the texture is generally “chunkier” than a jelly or jam. The natural sweetness of pears combined with the nutty, salty cheese and puffed pastry makes for a delicious appetizer.
Why this recipe works
Baked brie with puff pastry is always a favorite holiday or Christmas appetizer!
- Quick and easy – all you really have to do is cook the pears with spices and seasonings, then place it on the brie, wrap the cheese in a puff pastry and bake it!
- Delicious flavor – Brie and pears make a perfect flavor combination!
- Impressive – every time I serve this, my guests offer compliments – it looks so pretty on a charcuterie board.
Ingredients
- Puff pastry -Before you start, make sure you purchase “puff pastry” and not “phyllo dough” – these two are often next to each other in the refrigerated section (near the biscuits) or sometimes in the freezer section and they are totally different from one another.
- Pears – I use Bosc pears, but you can also use Bartlett pears or Green Anjoy pears. Red Bartlett pears are an option, but the pear compost will turn pink.
- Apple Pie spice – this “magic in a jar” spice contains the warm spices of nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger – this spice combination really complements the sweetness of the pears
- Fresh lemon juice – just a pinch; the addition of acid finishes off the flavor profile of the pear compote
- Vanilla extract, thyme, sugar, water and salt
Here’s how you make it
You’ll want to refrigerate the brie while you make the pear filling. Peel an dice the pears. Place the pear compote ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat and cook it, stirring frequently, until the pears break down and the liquid thickens. Once you’ve made the pear compote, cover and refrigerate for about 15 – 10 minutes.
Use a sharp knife and slice the cold brie disc in half. Place a few spoonfuls of the cooled pear compote on the bottom disc, then place the other half of the cheese on that. You can remove the brie rind or not – it is edible, but some people think it’s bitter tasting. I leave it on because it stabilizes the brie when it’s baking in the oven.
Recipe tips
For best results, make sure the oven is preheated to a high heat (425°F). Why? Because puff pastry “puffs” best when it’s SLIGHTLY COOL and the OVEN IS HOT
Keep the puff pastry cool – don’t let it get to room temperature or it won’t “puff”
Refrigerate the pear compote and apply it to the wheel of brie while it’s cool. Why? This ensures your brie en croute pear filling won’t seep out
Recipe FAQ
I recommend using ripe Bosc pears for this recipe. On the scale of overall sweetness, Bosc pears are a little less sweet than Bartlett or Comice. Since this recipe has some sugar in it, the Bosc pear results in a mildly sweet compote.
Bosc pears are also slightly firmer than others, so when you cook the compote, the pear pieces don’t dissolve, resulting in a much firmer final product.
If you use a sweeter pear, go easy on the sugar in the recipe. You might add the sugar in tablespoon-increments until you have it as sweet as you like.
The rind is the white casing around the brie wheel and it is perfectly safe to eat; however, it has a strong, pungent flavor that some do not prefer.
After the cheese-making process, the wheel of brie is treated with an all-natural fungus called Penicillium Candidum, then allowed to age. This forms the rind and gives the cheese flavor.
This recipe keeps the rind on because it stabilizes the cheese in the hot oven.
This baked brie recipe leaves the rind on– it stabilizes the cheese while it’s in the oven. If you want to remove the rind, freeze the cheese, then slice away the rind (see below.)
The rind gives a stronger flavor, so if you don’t want a strong rind flavor, then remove it while the brie is cold.
How to remove the brie rind
If you want to remove the rind, freeze the cheese wheel then slice the rind away with a sharp knife.
What kind of pastry dough?
This recipe calls for one sheet of puff-pastry dough, usually in the frozen section of the grocer. Allow the puff-pastry dough to thaw in the refrigerator before wrapping the brie. See the Recipe Tips above.
Make it in advance
Make this baked brie with pear compote in advance and store in the refrigerator for up to a day.
However, if stored much longer than a day in the refrigerator, you run the risk of the pear compote becoming too moist and penetrating the pastry dough, which results in a soggy appetizer.
For best results, make the pear compote in advance and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container; then, when ready to serve, just assemble the pastry and bake!
When you’re ready to bake it, make sure your oven is hot and your puff pastry is a bit cool.
Cold puff pastry rises more than pastry at room temperature
Make ahead and storage
You can make brie en croute with pear compote and freeze it for up to two months, provided it is wrapped securely. When ready to serve, thaw in refrigerator prior to baking.
You might have a little pear compote leftover and if you do, put it in a ramekin with a small serving spoon! Let your guests drizzle a little more over their baked brie!
Related recipes
- Hickory Almond Stuffed Dates
- Pan Fried Ravioli Appetizer
- Classic Cheese Fondue
- Pistachio Chicken Salad
- Cheeseboard 101: How to make the Perfect Cheeseboard
- Easy Homemade Marshmallows
- Gingerbread Bundt Cake
- Fresh Apple Cake
- 10 Easy Sauces
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a comment and rating! I love to hear from you! Thank you!
Baked Brie with Pear Compote
Ingredients
- 1 wheel brie cheese
- 1 pkg. puff pastry one sheet
- 1 whole egg ( for egg wash)
- 1 teaspoon water ( for egg wash)
Pear Compote Ingredients
- 2 pears peeled, cored, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Apple Pie Seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice , fresh
- 1 whole sprig fresh thyme (you will remove it from the pan after the compote is done)
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Remove cheese from all packaging and cover in plastic wrap; place in refrigerator; allow puff pastry to thaw in refrigerator or at room temperature (See Recipe Notes)1 wheel brie cheese
- In a saucepan on medium heat add pears, sugar, water, spices, seasonings and the thyme sprig2 pears, ¼ teaspoon Apple Pie Seasoning, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon lemon juice, 1 whole sprig fresh thyme, ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup water, pinch of salt
- On medium-high heat, cook the pear mixture (about 10-minutes) until pears begin to break down and sauce thickens; use a whisk or fork to mash the pears; add lemon juice; remove the thyme sprig
- Cover and refrigerate pear compote until it is cool
- Roll out puff pastry sheet on lightly floured surface1 pkg. puff pastry
- Preheat oven to 425º F; line baking sheet with parchment paper
- Remove cheese from refrigerator; slice in half; (if you want to remove the rind, do it now: slice the top and bottom rinds off; then slice the rind from the sides)
- Place 1-2 large spoonfuls (serving size spoon) of cooled pear compote on one side of the brie half
- Replace the other (top) half of the cheese over the pear compote
- Place brie wheel on pastry dough
- Gently pull the sides of the dough up over the cheese; work around the brie, bringing up the sides of the dough; pinch the dough together on top
- Combine egg and water in a small bowl1 whole egg, 1 teaspoon water
- Using a brush, gently brush the egg wash over the pastry
- Place on parchment lined baking dish and bake 15-25 minutes, or until golden brown
- Use a spatula to slide under the cheese disc and place it on a serving dish; allow for the brie to cool a bit before serving
Notes
- Make sure brie is very cold before slicing it
- Puff pastry should be slightly cold when it goes into a HOT oven : Why? chilled pastry rises better than room-temperature pastry. If you thaw your puff pastry at room temperature, you might want to put it back in the refigerator until you’re ready to wrap the brie wheel. You want the pastry slightly chilled.
- For best results, make sure your pastry is slightly chilled and your oven is pre-heated and HOT
This recipe was easy, quick and delicious. All my guests thought it was amazing. I was so glad I tried it. I can’t wait to try my next recipe from Smarty Pants Kitchen. Yay!
Thank you! I’m glad you tried the Baked Brie! It makes a lovely appetizer!