January and February have been months of green smoothies, oatmeal bowls, sauteed greens, and few indulgences.
While we have been great about eating at home and reserving some of our eating out budget for our Restaurant Week date later this week, I have been missing making some fancy treats for friends coming over or small get togethers.
As an appetizer the other night to hold us over into dinner, I heated up a small wheel of brie with honey and pistachios served with crisp apple slices. While deliciously creamy and decadent tasting, a few bites were all I needed to curb my cheese craving. It kept me satisfied through a light dinner and I have been thinking about brie ever since. I am excited for the weather to warm up again so we can start having more dinners with friends, and brainstorming fun appetizers like this one to share with others.
For this recipe, make sure to purchase a wheel of brie, as a wedge that is not enclosed in rind will spill out into your pan while preheating. I reduced the fat and calories of this appetizer by ditching any type of puff pastry and serving the brie with apple slices, and using heart-healthy pistachios and a bit of honey instead of jam.
The resulting recipe will not only satisfy your need for brie (a true need), but will satisfy your sweet tooth with the melty honey and contrasting salty crunch of pistachios on top of that warm cheese.
I hope I’ve convinced you that this indulgent recipe can make it’s way into a dinner of yours- aim for serving a lighter salad with homemade veggie burgers or a piece of fish to keep things light.
- 8-ounce wheel of soft ripened brie cheese
- 1 cup in-shell roasted pistachios
- 4 tablespoons honey, divided
- 3-4 small pink lady apples or crackers, to serve
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Place the wheel of brie in small cast iron or oven safe dish and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of honey.
- Bake for 10 minutes until you can slide a knife easily through the cheese.
- While the brie is baking, shell and crush pistachios until you have about ½ cup of pistachio pieces. Slice your favorite crisp apples.
- When brie is soft and warm, sprinkle the top with pistachios and drizzle with the extra 2 tablespoons honey. Serve immediately.
Serve baked brie with butter knives for slicing and with apple slices and crackers. Seriously delicious!
Marisa
Katie says
YUM! I always love when brie is wrapped in puff pastry, but I suppose skipping it is just as delicious, especially with pistachios, which make everything tastier to me!
Marisa says
I know- I figure if I ditch the pastry part, I can eat more brie? Because really, that’s the goal here 🙂 I love the pistachio crunch!
Jessi Even says
This not only sounds delicious, but LOOKS ADORABLE!
Marisa says
Thanks!! I bought these mini cast iron pans for Noah to bake cookie cakes in, and they are actually extremely useful! They are cheap at World Market and are perfect for baking individual sized things.
Ashley says
This looks SO amazing! Pistachios are some of my favorite things– and brie? Always brie. 🙂
Marisa says
Thanks Ashley! I am a sucker for pistachios- they have the perfect texture, and brie always steals the show!
Erin @ The Almond Eater says
I don’t really like brie…..don’t judge me. Ok ok ok you totally can. I don’t know what it is about it–if I liked it, I bet I would like this!
Marisa says
No judgement 😉 Try some pistachios and honey with some of your favorite cheese- I have used goat cheese before (not baked), laughing cow wedges, really anything softer and mild. I bet the flavors would go well with some swiss too!
Traci says
YUM. I just found your blog and can’t wait to check out more recipes. This looks so good, but think I’d eat it with crackers or bread–the apple slices might be too sweet for me with the honey, too!
Marisa says
Thanks for stopping by, Traci! You could definitely substitute some crusty bread for the apples, or use granny smith. It doesn’t end up being a lot of honey but adjust to your taste!
Emily @ More Than Just Dessert says
I used to work at a restaurant in high school that had a “brie, apple, honey” with toasted bread appetizer and I swear I convinced the chefs to make me some EVERY time I worked. LOVE any brie combo. Can we make this together when I’m in Denver this summer?!?!
Marisa says
That is a good gig, and definitely dangerous if you worked a few times a week 😉 It is the perfect indulgent snack. I am so looking forward to having you here and we can make whatever your heart desires!!