Baked brie, wrapped in a crescent with fig jam and candied pecans, served with crisp apples is the perfect appetizer or fall afternoon snack. It tastes every bit as good as it looks, and it is so easy to make! Brie is a soft, rich and gooey cheese with a high fat content. Combined with the fig jam, apples, and buttery crescent, finding the perfect wine to compliment these varied flavors may sound challenging. However, you have to remember, there is no such thing as a perfect pairing! There is always more than one option that can beautifully compliment any food you are eating.

Since the brie has creamy flavors and soft textures, a light, buttery chardonnay would mirror these attributes to create a complimentary pairing. In contrast, another option would be a bubbly, acidic, sparkling wine that would help cut the rich flavors and cleanse the palate. The bubbles in sparkling wine are often referred to as ‘cleansing bubbles’ because they help refresh the palate for the next bite of food. Bubbles are perfect with brie because they break up the creamy, rich flavors and leave you wanting to take another bite. The apples and dried apricots that I put on the board open the pairing possibilities to a dry, fruit forward wine such as a Riesling or Gewürztraminer. These wines also have a high acid potential, similar to the cleansing bubbles; the high acid will cut the rich flavors.

I paired this recipe with Jansz Premium Cuvée – a sparkling wine made with pinot noir and chardonnay grapes from Tasmania. Yes, they make wines there and this sparkling was excellently unique! There were pear, baked apple, lemon and honey aromas that followed through on the flavor. The high acidity and medium sized bubbles created a tension of opposites with the baked brie that took the whole experience to the next level. It was an excellent complement.

Baked Brie Recipe

Ingredients

- 1 can puff pastry or crescent

- 8oz Brie

- 1 jar fig spread

- ½ cup glazed pecans

- 1 egg

- 2 apples

- Your favorite crackers

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. Unroll a pre-made, uncooked, puff pastry or crescent flat onto a clean surface
3. Spread a couple tablespoons of fig jam onto the middle of the pastry
4. Chop up the glazed pecans and sprinkle them on top of the fig jam
5. Add the brie on top of the glazed pecans
6. Spread more fig jam and glazed pecans on top of the brie
7. Fold the corners of the puff pastry/crescent over the brie
8. Put the puff pastry into a large iron skillet
9. Place the skillet into the oven for 25 minutes*
10. Whisk one egg in a small bowl
11. *When there are 5 minutes remaining, brush the egg on top of the pastry
12. Chop up a couple apples and pull out your favorite crackers
13. Take the skillet out of the oven and let cool for 5 minutes
14. Place the baked brie on a cutting board with apples and crackers
15. Use a knife to cut into the warm, pecan, fig baked brie and enjoy!

The wines I suggested are universally “the best” ones to pair, however, I am a big believer in pairing whatever you think tastes well together. I would love to hear which wines you experimented pairing with this recipe! Let me know in the comments.