Brie with apples

Like camembert, brie can be baked until the middle is melting and oozy, perfect for dunking in toasts or veg crudités. Brie is a soft cow’s milk cheese with a pale white rind. It’s traditionally made in Brie, France, where it gets its name, and it has a mild, creamy flavour that’s quite delicate and fresh. While it’s a great addition to a cheeseboard with crackers, when bought whole in a round, it brie with apples be baked and shared.

Or, see our tip below for baking it in a dish. Here’s a really simple recipe for an easy baked brie with herbs. Remove any plastic packaging before baking. You can also transfer the cheese to a small ovenproof dish. It should fit snugly so it doesn’t escape when baking. Remove the cheese from the box and remove and discard any plastic wrapping, then return the cheese to its box.

Put on a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins. Remove from the oven and remove the box lid. Cut a large cross through the top of the cheese, then peel back the rind. Scatter over chopped herbs and serve with pitta crisps or breadsticks for dunking. What flavours can you add to baked brie? Try substituting the cheese in our baked camembert recipe for brie and add some spice to your starter. We’ve added a pinch of chilli and a splash of vermouth to cut through the richness of the cheese.

After scoring the cheese, you can add toppings to it that will infuse into the cheese while it bakes. A dollop of cranberry jam, a splash of wine, chopped herbs, dried fruit, honey or nuts are all great additions to brie, and help make it a simple but impressive dinner party starter. Have we made your mouth water? Try our favourite baked camembert recipes and topping ideas.