Easy Entertaining for Beginners

Makes 10 to 12 servings

Nonstick cooking spray
1 tube crescent roll dough (refrigerated section)
1 wheel Brie cheese (19.6 ounces)
1 egg
1 teaspoon water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Open the crescent dough and smooth it out. Pinch together all of the perforated seams with your fingers to make 1 piece of dough. It will be a rectangular shape. With a sharp knife, cut off about 1 inch of the dough to make it a square. Reserve this scrap of dough. Unwrap the Brie and place it in the middle of the dough. Stretching the dough slightly to fit, wrap it up around the Brie and pinch the seams together to completely wrap the Brie in the dough. Pinch together at the top. I cut out small shapes (such as leaves or bells) from the reserved scrap of dough and press them onto the dough to cover the top seam.

Beat the egg with the water in a small bowl and, using a pastry or barbecue basting brush, lightly brush the beaten egg on the dough. This will give it a nice shine when it is baked. Bake for 12 to 18 minutes and serve immediately on a pretty platter. Cut a small wedge and let the melted cheese ooze out a bit. Serve with a cheese knife and spoon on the platter so guests can serve themselves.

When pairing wine with a holiday cheese board, offer a soft, medium and hard selection of cheeses along with:

• crackers, bread sticks, pita toasts, tortilla chips and other savory snacks.

• dried figs, dates or other fruit

Offer some sliced cheese along with a couple of wedges on a board (use an attractive wooden cutting board) along with pretty knives for serving.  Offer 4-5 varieties total:

• Soft cheeses such as fresh mozzarella, goat cheese (tart), brie (mild) or an herb cheese spread

• Medium cheeses such as  blue cheese (tart), cheddar, jack or Swiss

• Hard cheese such as Parmesan (salty).

All of these flavors work well together and are splendid served with wine. Serve fruity white and red wines such as Pinot Noir, Port or Sherry. A delicious  Riesling pairs nicely with the creamy (soft) types of cheeses.

Chill the white wine in the fridge (45-50 degrees) and serve the red wine at room temperature.

Look  for a fabulous baked brie that will wow your guests and is a quick and easy recipe to prepare in Recipes/Appetizers category.