Recipe: Brie In Phyllo

Brie In Phyllo
Recipe by: Nancy Berry

1 whole brie, wrapping removed
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
phyllo dough
pesto (optional)
sun-dried tomatoes (optional)

Remove all the wrapping from a whole brie and cut off about 1/8-inch off the top, leaving a smooth surface of brie without the rind. Then cut off the edges. Turn brie upside down and remove the rest of the rind. You now have a naked brie. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Place 1 sheet of phyllo on a flat surface with the long end in front of you. Butter the sheet. Place another sheet of phyllo on top of the first sheet, overlapping half of the first sheet. You now have 1-1/2 widths of phyllo in front of you. Butter that sheet, but positioned over the first sheet. Place a fourth sheet over the third sheet, but positioned directly over the second sheet. You now have 4 sheets of phyllo. You have a double thickness of phyllo, 1 to 1/2 times the original width. Now do the same thing with the height, placing the 5th sheet of phyllo.....I guess you get the idea. Don't worry that the middle is thicker. It's going to support the weight of the brie. When you've used 8 sheets of phyllo, give it another brush with butter, place the brie in the center of the buttered phyllo pile.

If you want to add something on top of the brie, now is the time to do it. I sometimes spread the top with pesto and sprinkle the pesto layer with pignoli nuts. Another idea is to make a paste of sun dried tomatoes and cured black olives and spread that on top of the brie. You could also leave it plain, but the toppings do add a wonderful flavor.

Now to wrap--it's done just like a package. Fold the left side of the phyllo over the brie and brush with butter; then fold the right side over the left side, pressing to seal. Fold the front flap up and over, brushing to seal and then the top flap, again brushing with butter. Don't wrap it too tight or too loose. Flip the wrapped brie over, brush with butter and place on a cookie sheet.

Bake in a preheated 375F oven until the phyllo is puffed and golden brown. The brie inside will have melted. Cut into wedges and serve.