Baked Brie with Cranberries and Maple in Puff Pastry

Get your holiday parties started right with this seasonal spin on the classic appetizer. Rather than reaching for a jar of jam, prepare an easy-to-make homemade maple and cranberry jam and layer it into the buttery puff pastry-wrapped brie. Then to top it all off, drizzle the cooked puff pastry and warm brie with extra maple syrup before serving. Don’t worry, the crust won't get soggy as it bakes nice and crisp in the oven. To display the beautiful cranberry filling, don’t fully wrap the cheese in the puff pastry. Just fold and drape the four corners up, leaving gaps. The end result is that the baked brie looks like a beautiful, showstopping pastry.

1 cup frozen or fresh cranberries
⅓ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup pure maple syrup
½ tsp. orange zest, finely grated
2 Tbsp. orange juice, freshly squeezed
2 tsp. cornstarch
sea salt
1 large pinch ground cinnamon
all-purpose flour, unbleached
1 (8 oz) sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 (8 oz) wheel brie
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C/200°C fan, Gas Mark 7).

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cranberries, granulated sugar, syrup, orange zest, orange juice, cornstarch and a large pinch of salt to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently and smashing cranberries with the back of a spoon, until cranberries burst and jam thickens, 4-6 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in cinnamon and let cool.

On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry to a 10" square. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place brie in the center and top with maple-cranberry jam.

Fold edges of 4 corners of dough in about ½", then drape up and over brie. The dough should mostly cover the brie, with small gaps in between each folded corner. Brush dough all over with egg. Generously sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake brie, tenting with foil if browning too fast, until pastry is lightly golden brown, 25-30 minutes.

Transfer brie to a platter. Drizzle with syrup.

Makes 6-8 servings.