Brie-Almond Appetizer

1 small wheel of Brie cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1 package almonds, slivered

Microwave the Brie for 30 seconds, just until warmed through. Saut? almonds in butter until slightly browned. Pour almonds over warmed Brie on a pretty plate and serve with warm chunks of French bread.

Variation
After warming Brie, cover with chutney and toasted almonds.

Phyllo Wrapped Crab and Brie

1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons shallots
1/2 pound crabmeat, picked over well
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons minced parsley
Tabasco to taste (optional)
1/2 pound brie, cut into thin slices
15 sheets phyllo (1/2 pound)
3/4 cup clarified butter (or ghee)

Melt butter; add shallots and saut? until golden. Add crab; heat through and season. Spread slices of Brie over crab. Keep over low heat without stirring until Brie softens enough to be stirred without breaking lumps of crab. When mixture is homogeneous, set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Remove 5 sheets of phyllo and cut in half lengthwise. For each packet, lay out 1 strip phyllo with the short end toward you, and brush with butter. Place about 1 1/2 teaspoons filling in corner of strip. Fold as you would a flag and brush with butter. Repeat until all ingredients are used. Refrigerate if not planning to use immediately. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until crisp and golden.

Serve hot.

Spirited Apricot Brie

From the kitchen of Judy Wilson – Arizona

1/2 cup apricot jam
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 tablespoon brandy or orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 piece brie cheese (about 1/2 pound)
Thin baguette slices or water crackers

Mix jam, orange peel, brandy, lemon juice and cinnamon in a shallow microwave-safe serving dish just large enough to also hold the brie.

Set brie in apricot sauce. Return to microwave oven and cook, uncovered, until the cheese is hot and slightly melted, about 1 minute; check at 20-second intervals.

Scoop cheese and apricot sauce onto the baguette slices.

Makes 6 appetizer servings.

Fried Brie

1/2 pound brie cheese
Flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 loaf French bread

Remove and discard paper and plastic wrapping from cheese. Coat all surfaces with flour.

Beat egg with water in a pie plate until foamy. Dip cheese in egg, then in crumbs, coating well.

Heat butter in a small skillet or flameproof stove-to-table casserole just until it foams. Put cheese in pan; cover; cook over low heat about 5 minutes, or until golden brown on one side. Turn over and cook, covered, on other side until golden.

Remove from heat; make a cut in the cheese so it will run. Serve at once while warm with bread that has been cut into small pieces. Pass around while warm – cheese firms as it cools.

Jalapeno Baked Brie

Serves 10.

2 (4 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent roll dough
8 ounces brie cheese wheel
2 tablespoons Tabasco red/green pepper sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Work crescent roll dough into a thin circle large enough to completely wrap the brie. Place brie in center of dough circle. With fork, poke top of cheese several times. Slowly pour 1 tablespoon Tabasco red/green pepper sauce over top of cheese, allowing it to sink in. Add remaining Tabasco sauce, poking cheese a few more times with fork (some sauce will run over side of cheese).

Fold dough over top of cheese, working it together. Brush edges with beaten egg to help seal. Bake approximately 10 minutes, following directions on crescent roll package. Do not over-bake, as cheese will run.

Serve immediately with crackers.