Brie appetizers are not only delicious, but they are also very versatile. It’s amazing
what you can do with a Brie cheese. How did “real” Brie cheese come about in the
first place? Well, according to cheese experts, Brie cheese production started in the
The French province was called, unsurprisingly, Brie, a city 60 miles from Paris!
The oldest recorded evidence of its existence was found in the chronicles of
Charlemagne. The Emperor at that time, tasted the cheese in the town of Brie around
the year 774 BC And here is another interesting fact about Brie cheese … Louis
XVI’s last and last wish was supposedly to taste the Brie one last time.
It is sometimes called Brie de Meaux and is considered one of the most popular of
the more than 400 cheeses of France. Brie de Meaux’s popularity can be attributed to a
competition that took place around 1814. During a Congress of Vienna, an argument
it exploded over which country made the best and finest cheese.
As a result, a Frenchman named Talleyrand suggested a competition
between the different countries and their national cheeses, as he was convinced that
France would win. And of course yes! Brie de Meaux was the winner and
became known as the “King of Cheeses” and, as you can imagine, instantly became
an overnight success that swept across Europe and has maintained that distinction ever since.
In fact, Brie Cheese from France won a gold medal from Brie
National Competition in 2000 and 2001.
What makes it so damn good? Brie is made from unpasteurized cow’s milk and has
an attractive combination of flavors including hazelnut, fruit and herbs. And it takes
about 6.6 gallons of milk to make a round of brie cheese!
The manufacturing process consists of heating the milk to no more than 37 degrees C
– but only during the rennet stage. Therefore, the cheese is never cooked. After
It is put in a mold with a special perforated shovel called “pelle à Brie”, it is
salted with dry salt. This salting process is used to balance the sweetness that
It occurs due to the high quality of the milk used.
Maturation takes place in a cool cellar. The cheese develops a white mold around it.
and the creamy part turns a light straw color. The whole process takes at least 4
weeks and sometimes longer.
In France, there are only 5 or 6 actual producers of Brie de Meaux left. Apparently it is a
economically challenged industry to enter. Brie has a very brittle curd which is
breaks easily and requires a special room built just for Brie’s use and
Triple Cream. It has to maintain the proper temperature or ripening.
The process will not work. This, in itself, makes Brie difficult to do and evidently requires
quite an investment. Therefore, farmers are not so inclined to invest their time and
money in such a delicate and not always reliable process.
To properly serve Brie cheese, it is best to let it come to room temperature.
Some good wine suggestions to serve with any type of appetizer brie is a red wine.
Côte-du-Rhône, a Bordeaux or Burgundy red and it always goes well with a good
Quality champagne.
In the United States, we do not sell “Real Brie” due to pasteurization laws that
have settled in this country. US FDA regulations say you can only do
cheese with our pasteurized milk. Our “Brie” isn’t the real Brie, but she’s as close as
can make you know Brie de Meaux from France. If you were to put in truth
French Brie alongside American-made Brie, the difference would be very
perceptible. You’d get hooked on French brie and take annual trips
to France to feed your new craving!
Instead of going to France, try this tasty Brie appetizer. You will be glad you did!
Amaretto Brie Appetizer
There’s nothing like serving this delicious Amaretto Brie appetizer. Especially when
you see everyone plunge into it without a trace. Your friends and
guests will beg you for this recipe. It’s easy to make and has a creamy almond flavor.
It’s great with a gourmet baguette or cookie.
What you will need:
– 1/2 cup brown sugar (well packed)
– 1/2 cup of butter
– 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
– 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
– 1 ounce. amaretto liqueur
– 1 round brie cheese
– 1/4 cup sliced almonds (chopped walnuts will work too)
– Toast tips, sliced apples, baguettes, or crackers
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Then melt the butter and add the brown
sugar in a heavy saucepan. Stir until completely hot and the consistency is smooth and uniform.
thick.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the cinnamon, nutmeg and Amaretto. Mixture
ingredients ok.
Next, place the round of Brie (remove the Brie from the packaging) in an oven safe dish. Bring
the sauce you just created and pour over the Brie. Then cover the sauce with the
sliced almonds.
All you need to do is bake it for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is soft. You could
also cook in the microwave if you are in a hurry. But just microwave it for 30
second intervals until smooth and warm. If you heat it in the microwave for too long,
Finish with Amaretto Brie appetizer soup, and that’s not what we want here!
You can serve the melted Brie on a nice plate surrounded by apple slices, cut
baguette and cookies. It will disappear quickly!
If you are interested in other Brie appetizers and other easy to make appetizers
recipes, please visit Easy Appetizer Recipes found in the url below where
you will be pleasantly surprised by the variety of options.
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