Antipasto Platter

Antipasto Platter

This is not only pretty but also delicious! I made this for a Christmas Day late afternoon repast. I think I will also make for a New Years get together we are attending.

Slice French bread at an angle and brush with olive oil. Toast both sides under broiler. Arrange on tray and add: pepperoni or whatever meat you prefer, marinated mushrooms, sundried tomatoes in oil, marinated artichoke hearts, olives: Castelvetrano olives (nice unique teal color, has firm texture with a buttery flavor), kalamata olives (soft texture and salty with strong flavor), Sundried tomato stuffed olives (nice combination of flavors: salty, sweet), and marinated mozzarella balls.

I also made a cheese platter and was going to post but the photos didn’t come out. So, here are the details!
Three Cheeses –
Triple Cream Brie: soft cheese with a milder Brie flavor. I absolutely love this cheese and it’s a great addition to a cheese plate. I used the Wegmans brand triple cream.
Blue Cheese: Soft and very strong cheese. You either love it or you hate it. I used the Buttermilk Blue brand
Parmesan: Nice firm cheese that goes great with everything! I used the Belgioioso brand.

What makes cheese platters so entertaining is all the great bits you can serve with it. We used grapes, candied pecans, and cranberry orange bread. You can also add anything from the antipasto trey or I’ve also had jellies and dried fruits to accompany.

Baked Brie with Cherries

Baked Brie with Cherries

This is one of those recipes that I love – it looks complicated but it’s actually pretty easy and absolutely phenomenal! Trust me, you will love all the warm gooey deliciousness!

16 oz Brie wheel
Two canisters crescent dough sheets for baking
3/4 cup dried cherries or cranberries
6 T brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 egg, whisked

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the Brie wheel in half horizontally and set aside. Mix the brown sugar, cherries, and nuts together in a bowl. Unroll one crescent canister and roll out a little with a rolling pin. Spoon about half of the cherry and nut mixture in the center of the crescent dough. (this will eventually be the top) Layer one half of the Brie wheel on top of mixture. Layer the remaining cherry and nut mixture on top of the Brie. Top with the remaining Brie half. Then, start folding the sides of the dough up towards the center if the Brie wheel. You should be able to pull the dough together so it seals in all the ingredients. If not, unroll the second croissant dough and cut a circle to cover the seams. When the Brie is sealed carefully flip over onto a parchment covered cookie sheet. Use the remaining dough from the second canister for decorating by cutting shapes with cookie cutters and then placing on top. Brush the entire top with egg. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until the croissant is brown and crusty. Then, lower to 325 degrees and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Serve with water crackers or apples. Enjoy!