Directions

Preparation:

-Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

-Toss the walnut meats with teaspoon of oil and a pinch of salt and bake for 5 to 8 minutes. Do not brown the nuts; just crisp them a bit. When cooled, give them a rough chop with a chef’s knife. Do this by hand and not in the food processor- looking for ‘biggish’ pieces of nuts and the processor will chop them too finely.

- Un-wrap the cheese. Un-roll the store-bought pastry (if using) or roll out your homemade pastry into a 10 to 12-inch disk. If using homemade dough, trim the edges cleanly using a pizza wheel or a paring knife. Lay the dough out on a buttered sheet pan or on a parchment-lined sheet pan.

- Drain the water from the cranberries and dry on paper towels to remove excess moisture.

- Spread the jam/marmalade on top of the cheese using the back of a spoon. Spread to the edges. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts over the jam, pressing them into the jam. Add the dried cranberries on top and gently press into tam as well. You may not need all the cranberries.

- Beat the egg with a pinch of kosher salt. Use a pastry brush and brush the beaten egg in a one-inch ring around the edge of the dough. Place the piece of brie in the center of the dough. Bring the edges of the dough up and over the top edge of the brie. Pleat the edges of the dough evenly. Dough will not cover the brie completely, leaving some of the center exposed. Brush beaten egg (‘egg wash’) on the pleated folds of dough and on the sides. Refrigerate the cheese for at least 15 minutes before baking. (This can also be made the day before and held in the refrigerator before baking.)

- Bake the brie on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes, until pastry is golden brown and center feels very soft. Be sure to turn the baking sheet once during baking to promote even browning.

- Serve hot from the oven with a selection of prepared fruits, vegetables and crackers.

Cheese should ooze when cut into.