Baked brie with pepper jam shows why the classic is a classic

No, there’s nothing new about baked brie. But sometimes novelty is overrated. There’s a reason that, per Google Trends, interest in the dish spikes annually during December: Baked brie is eye-catching, deliciously decadent and shockingly easy to prepare, all the makings of a holiday-party star. Traditionally enjoyed as an appetizer, baked brie can also be the main course for dinner, particularly when vegetables are alongside for nutritional balance.

As so succinctly described by its name, the dish is primarily cheese that is baked until lusciously gooey. Brie is the go-to, but any bloomy rind cheese, such as camembert or cambozola (a cross between camembert and gorgonzola), will do.

While melted cheese is great, the excitement really comes from its pairing with some sort of flavor enhancer. Jam is common, but some other ingredients that can be used in place of or in conjunction with the fruit spread include toasted nuts, fresh herbs, pesto, olive tapenade, honey (or another liquid sweetener), or any sort of flavorful condiment, paste, spread or sauce. The only thing to keep in mind is to stay away from anything too liquidy that might inhibit a crust (if you’re including one, and I always do) from getting brown and crisp.

In my version, I found spicy-sweet pepper jam to be a great choice to balance the richness of the cheese. A few out-of-the-box ideas that might also be worth a try include ssamjang (a savory, spicy and sweet Korean condiment), harissa (a hot sauce popular in North Africa) and rémoulade (a spicy and tart sauce from New Orleans). The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

Some iterations of baked brie stop there, but I always envision it “en croute,” or wrapped in a crust. Puff pastry is the standard, adding drama as its laminated layers expand during baking. But creative cooks have also used delicate layers of phyllo or a buttery pie crust to put their own spin on the traditional version.

While you could certainly make your own puff pastry, store-bought is the way to go for ease and convenience. One of the most widely available brands is Pepperidge Farm, whose puff pastry uses vegetable-based fat, but some prefer the flavor of those that use butter instead, such as Dufour. Whichever is available to you and within your budget will work just fine.

For those new to working with puff pastry, the most important rule is to not allow it to get too warm, which could impair its ability to, well, puff. Store-bought dough comes frozen, so it’s best to follow the package instructions for thawing and then not to leave it at room temperature for too long.

A hunk of decadent cheese plus a few tablespoons of flavorful flair all wrapped in crisp, delicate pastry — plus a quick brush with an egg wash to give it a golden sheen — adds up to a simple-to-prepare, gastronomic gift for you and your guests.

Baked Brie With Pepper Jam

1 large egg

1 tablespoon water

All-purpose flour, for dusting

1 puff pastry sheet, defrosted according to the package instructions

8 ounces brie cheese

2 to 3 tablespoons pepper jam or jelly, plus more for serving

Crackers, crostini, crudites or sliced apples, for serving

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water until combined.

Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Lay out the puff pastry dough and lightly flour the top. Gently roll out the pastry dough into a 10- to 11-inch square, rotating and flipping it and dusting with more flour as needed. Brush off any excess flour with a pastry brush.

Transfer the square of dough to the sheet pan and place the brie in the middle of it. (If your cheese is a wedge shape rather than a round, cut off enough of a piece that you can form a makeshift square by pressing the two parts together.) Top the cheese with the jam, spreading it all the way to the edges and letting some spill over the sides. Take each corner of the puff pastry and fold it over the brie, using the egg wash to seal the last corner. Brush the entire exterior of the pastry with the egg wash.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and slightly puffy. Let cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve hot, warm or at room temperature with more pepper jam and crackers, crostini, crudites or sliced apples.

Substitutions: Instead of puff pastry, use phyllo or pie dough. Instead of pepper jam, you can use pesto, olive tapenade or any thick jam of your choosing. Want more texture? Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of toasted nuts on top of the jam.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through.

Nutrition per serving, based on 8: 278 calories, 18g carbohydrates, 28mg cholesterol, 20g fat, 1g fiber, 8g protein, 8g saturated fat, 255mg sodium, 4g sugar

— Aaron Hutcherson