Low-Carb Baked Brie en Croute

A wheel of Brie is wrapped in prosciutto and paired with sweet cranberry sauce, then enrobed in flaky, buttery crust­­–– the perfect centerpiece for entertaining this holiday season.

Makes: 10 SERVINGS

Prep Time: 25 MINUTES

Cooking Time: 35 MINUTES

ingredients

Cranberry Sauce

12 ounces (340 g) fresh or frozen cranberries

Juice of 1 orange (optional, or add additional ¼ cup water if not using orange juice)

1 ½ cups (360 ml) water

1 cup (190 g) Sola Sweetener

Zest of ½ orange

1 cinnamon stick (optional)

Pastry Crust

1 ¼ cups (140 g) finely ground almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ stick (55 g) unsalted butter

4 ounces (110 g) shredded mozzarella (low moisture)

2 free-range eggs

To Build the Baked Brie

2, 8-ounce rounds of brie, rinds removed

6 slices prosciutto

1 beaten egg

To Serve

Fresh berries such as blackberries

Rosemary sprigs

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make the cranberry Sauce: Place the cranberries, orange juice, water, and Sola sweetener into a large saucepan over medium heat.

2. Bring the liquid to a boil, then add the orange zest and cinnamon stick, and simmer the mixture over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until it reaches a thick, jam-like consistency. Cool the mixture and serve at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

3. Make the pastry crust: place the almond flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or use a large mixing bowl and a handheld electric whisk.  Place the butter and mozzarella into a microwave-proof bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Cook on full power for approximately 2 minutes, checking every 30 seconds until the mixture is melted.

4. Once the mozzarella and butter mixture is melted, pour it over the dry ingredients and add the 2 eggs. Beat on high speed until you have a smooth dough; this will take a little longer than a regular dough for the mozzarella to combine into the dry ingredients. 

5. Place the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and flatten out into a large circle about 1/8 inch in thickness. Place the dough in the freezer while you prepare the Brie filling.

6. Build and cook the baked Brie: cut the rind off of 2 wheels of Brie and sandwich together with approximately 3 tablespoons of the cranberry sauce, then wrap with 6 slices of prosciutto.

7. Remove the firm pastry dough from the freezer and peel off the parchment paper. Place 2 tablespoons of cranberry sauce in the middle and on the top of the cheese, fold up the dough to fully enclose the Brie, remove excess dough and smooth out. Feel free to use any leftover dough to decorate in any way you like. For mine I cut some of the dough into small leaf shapes and “glued” them to the side of the Brie with a little egg wash.

8. Place the Brie onto the sheet pan and brush thoroughly with egg wash.

9. Bake for 35 minutes until golden-brown and puffed up, and serve with fresh fruit and rosemary sprigs.  Make sure you have plenty of spoons, knives, and napkins on hand so your guests can scoop up the goodness. This dish needs no sides as the pastry acts as the edible scoop for the heavenly, melty cheese.