This Baked Cherry and Honeyed Thyme Brie is always a crowd favourite.

This is one of the dishes I used to serve when I was teaching Camembert and Brie cheesemaking classes.

Even though my cheese classes are all online these days, I still have very fond memories of everyone standing around dipping chunks of fresh bread into the gooey centre and devouring it with oohs and ahhs in between sips of wine. Fun times!

Even though this dish looks a little fancy schmancy, it’s incredibly easy to get on the table as a starter, or even to serve alongside a cheese platter with wine.

You can use red grapes instead of the cherries, which I actually prefer, or if both are out of season, bottled Morello cherries work well too.

Serve this with fresh crusty bread and trust me...everyone will be asking for more.

Baked Cherry and Honeyed Thyme Brie

Ingredients

• 1 small wheel of Brie or Camembert cheese
• 3 Tablespoons good honey
• 4 Sprigs of thyme
• 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
• Pinch salt
• A handful of fresh cherries
• A handful of chopped walnuts, toasted

Method

1. In a small saucepan place the honey, 2 sprigs of the thyme and the vinegar. Stir with a spoon to combine, then add the cherries or grapes.
2. Simmer over medium heat until it begins to boil. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 mins.
3. Preheat a grill or grill pan to high heat. (You can also do this in the oven set at 160°C for 5 minutes if you don't have a grill or if you are really stuck, zap it in the microwave for about 30 - 60 seconds).
4. Rub the Brie or Camembert with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place on the grill for about 2 mins per side, or until it feels warm and gooey inside. Be careful when flipping as it will get quite soft as it heats up.
5. To serve, place the warm cheese in the middle of a serving plate. Top with cherries and walnuts, a few sprigs of fresh thyme and drizzle with the honey/thyme mixture.
6. Serve with a rocket salad and crusty bread.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, if you have any questions at all, feel free to email me at [email protected]

Happy Baking!