Randy Chandler
Double-cream brie is an indulgent treat, made even more decadent by the addition of extra cream to the already-creamy French cheese. This results in a smooth, spreadable texture and a rich mouthfeel. Double-cream brie is best served at room temperature as part of a cheese plate, perhaps with a firm or semi-firm cheese to provide a contrast in texture. It can be accompanied by crackers or bread, as well as fresh or dried fruit and nuts. For a more elaborate presentation, double-cream brie can be wrapped in puff pastry and baked, a dish known as brie en croute in French.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Temperature | Double brie cheese is best served at room temperature, although it can also be served cold or warmed in the microwave. |
| Presentation | Brie can be served whole or sliced. It can be cut into wedges, snowflake shapes, or other fun shapes using a cookie cutter. |
| Pairings | Brie can be paired with crackers, bread, fruit, meat, jam, nuts, honey, and more. It can also be baked in puff pastry or wrapped in prosciutto. |
| Occasion | Brie can be served as an appetizer, dessert, or as part of a cheese board or charcuterie board. |
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What You'll Learn
- Serve double brie cheese as an indulgent appetizer or dessert
- Pair it with fruits, meat, crackers, jam, or nuts
- Bake it in an oven or microwave to accelerate the warming process
- Cut it into wedges or fun shapes for a visually appealing cheese board
- Allow it to come to room temperature to enhance its flavours, aromas, and texture
Serve double brie cheese as an indulgent appetizer or dessert
Double-cream brie is an indulgent treat, with a smooth, spreadable texture and a rich mouthfeel. This style of cheese contains up to 60-75% butterfat and is often described as "buttery". The rind is entirely edible, but it is okay to leave it on your plate if you prefer.
To serve double-cream brie as an appetizer, allow the cheese to come to room temperature before serving. You can serve a wedge of double-cream brie on its own, with crackers or bread to spread it on. Alternatively, you can serve it as part of a cheese plate with other cheeses, such as a firm or semi-firm cheese and a blue cheese, for contrasting flavours and textures. Accompany your cheese with fresh or dried fruit and/or nuts.
For a more indulgent appetizer, bake a wheel of double-cream brie wrapped in puff pastry until golden, known as brie en croute. The brie will become extra soft, but will not melt entirely. This can be served with crackers or slices of baguette and a knife for spreading. You can also top the wheel of cheese with something extra before wrapping it in pastry, with either a sweet or savoury filling. Sweet options include nuts, honey, or jam, and you can also wrap the brie in thin slices of prosciutto before adding the pastry layer. Serve with sparkling wine, such as Champagne, prosecco, or cava.
Double-cream brie can also be served as a dessert, either on its own or with fruit, crackers, or bread. For a more elaborate dessert, you can bake a wheel of brie in the oven and serve it with crackers, figs, and honey. For extra decadence, bake the whole wheel in puff pastry with a layer of jam on top.
When serving brie, it is recommended to cut a few "example" pieces ahead of time, especially if serving as part of a charcuterie board. To ensure all guests get to try all parts of the cheese, avoid cutting into triangles, as the centre "tip" is often the most flavoursome. Instead, cut the wheel in half, and then into small slices.
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Pair it with fruits, meat, crackers, jam, or nuts
Double brie cheese can be served in a variety of ways, including with fruits, meat, crackers, jam, or nuts.
Fruits
Brie goes well with fresh or dried fruit. Try pairing it with apple slices, grapes, fresh raspberries, dried cranberries, dates, red and green pears, apricots, or figs.
Meat
Meats that complement brie include salami, prosciutto, and other cured meats. You can also pair brie with meat in a sandwich, such as a brie and apple sandwich with stone-ground mustard.
Crackers
Crackers are a simple and classic pairing with brie. You can also serve brie with bread or a baguette for spreading.
Jam
Jam is a great complement to brie, especially when baking a brie wheel in puff pastry. Spread a layer of your favourite jam on top of the brie wheel before folding the pastry over and baking. Red strawberry jam, dill or green jam, and yellow jam are particularly good pairings.
Nuts
Brie pairs well with nuts, especially almonds, candied walnuts, pecans, and other chopped nuts with honey. Nuts can also be added to sweet fillings when baking brie in pastry for a crunchy texture.
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Bake it in an oven or microwave to accelerate the warming process
Baked brie is a quick and easy dish to make. It's a great appetiser or party starter. The best way to bake brie is in an oven or a microwave.
If you want to bake brie in an oven, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the chilled brie on the baking sheet and bake for 8 to 15 minutes, or until soft in the middle. You can also use a shallow, round ovenproof dish that is slightly larger than the brie. This will stop the cheese from oozing out when people start eating it. If you don't have a suitable dish, you can place the brie on crumpled paper.
When baking brie, it's important to note that the cheese should be cold from the fridge when it goes into the oven. If it's at room temperature, it will melt as it bakes.
If you want to warm up brie in a microwave, place the cheese in a microwave-proof dish. Warm the brie in 30- to 60-second intervals, for no more than two minutes in total. If you warm it for too long, the cheese will melt.
Once your baked brie is ready, serve it warm with crackers, a sliced baguette, or apple slices. You can also drizzle honey on top and sprinkle chopped pecans and flaky sea salt.
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Cut it into wedges or fun shapes for a visually appealing cheese board
Double brie cheese is a soft-ripened French cheese with a delicate flavour and a bloomy rind. It is best served at room temperature to taste its nuanced flavours. To achieve this, let the cheese sit out, covered but not wrapped, for at least an hour before serving.
When serving double brie cheese on a cheese board, it is important to cut it into wedges or fun shapes to make it visually appealing. If you are starting with a wheel of double brie cheese, your first cut should divide the circle in half. Continue halving the halves until you arrive at the size of the wedge you need. If you are starting with a wedge, you can size it down by slicing off wedge-shaped lengths, going from the outer rind to the point/tip of the wedge. Avoid cutting the cheese into triangles as the centre "tip" is often the most flavourful. Instead, cut the cheese along the side, so that all guests get to try all parts of the cheese. It is recommended to cut the wheel in half and then into small slices.
For a visually stunning cheese board, use a large wedge of double brie cheese to anchor the display. If you want to be more creative, you can use a cookie cutter to cut out fun shapes from the cheese. You can also pre-slice smaller wedges for your guests to serve themselves, rather than scooping out the centre and leaving the rind. When cutting the cheese, it is recommended to use a long knife with a very thin blade. If you don't have a brie knife, you can use any knife with a thin, sharp blade or even a blade with holes.
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Allow it to come to room temperature to enhance its flavours, aromas, and texture
Double-cream brie, with its characteristic buttery flavour and smooth, spreadable texture, is best served at room temperature to enhance its flavours, aromas, and texture. Allowing the cheese to warm up from its chilled state in the refrigerator improves its taste and texture. This is because the cheese's flavours and aromas are heightened, and its texture becomes softer and more decadent.
Brie is a soft-ripened cheese, which means it is aged by applying mould to its outer layer, causing it to mature from the outside in and resulting in its distinctive "bloomy rind". This rind is fully edible and develops a deeper, earthier taste as the cheese ripens. While breaking through the rind stops the ripening process, most brie sold in the US is stabilized before sale, so it can be served as soon as you get it home.
If you want to serve brie at room temperature, you should take it out of the refrigerator about an hour before serving. You can speed up the process by placing the cheese in a zip-top bag and submerging it in water that is just above room temperature. Alternatively, you can microwave the cheese in 30- to 60-second intervals, or bake it in the oven at 350°F for 15 to 25 minutes.
Once your brie has reached room temperature, you can serve it as part of a cheese plate with crackers or bread, or alongside fresh or dried fruit and nuts. You can also wrap the cheese in puff pastry and bake it until golden—a dish known as "brie en croute".
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