Baking a round of brie for a few minutes in the oven makes it all melty and oozy, and transforms it from something already wonderful to completely irresistible. For this baked brie recipe we are making a sweet and sour caramelized honey sauce, and drizzling it over the brie with chopped toasted hazelnuts. The sweet tartness of the sauce helps cut through the richness of the brie. It’s really a perfect way to enjoy this cheese. The caramelized honey sauce is a classic French glaze called a “gastrique”. It’s one of those simple tricks of the trade that chefs use to provide razzle dazzle to a dish. Most references I found for gastrique would have you caramelize the honey first, then stir in some vinegar and reduce. I found that one can just as easily stir honey and vinegar together, bring it to a simmer, and reduce the sauce until it turns a warm shade of amber. I’ve also made the sauce with brown sugar in place of honey. That works too! Though I think I prefer the flavor of honey with the brie. You can use this sauce to swirl over other cheeses as well, melted or not. Remove from heat and stir in the hazelnuts. Serve with sliced tart apples. Baked Brie in Puff Pastry here on Simply Recipes Gastrique from Bobby Flay via David Lebovitz Baked Brie with Sun Dried Tomatoes from White on Rice Couple Baked Brie with Honey and Sliced Almonds from The Lemon Bowl Baked Brie Graham Cracker Crostini with Lavender Honey from Foodiecrush
