it is that time of year. winter has fully set in. even here in sunny southern california, rain has been in the forecast for days and i had to wear four layers to yoga this morning. 

we have come to that special time of year when the only real entertaining you do is indoors. we are headed into a few months of cabin weekends in, super bowl parties and cozy nights in by the fire. so we need cozy, warming snacks on the menu. 

i love to set out crostini platters for guests because it is interactive and people get exactly what they want. it creates a really natural place for all my guests to stand around and chat together. plus, it is easy to set and forget and can be customized to the things you and your guest like. 

for this baked brie, i use a mixed berry jam i had made for the holidays and caramelized onions i had on hand to stuff the brie, but you could use any salty/sweet combination. bacon, salted nuts, or some chopped up pieces of prosciutto to sub for the caramelized onions. instead of the berry jam you could sub any of your favorite preserves, some fresh sliced apples or pears or some tasty honey. get creative with the things YOU love. i always garnish the plate with some greens, fresh fruit and toasted or spiced nuts so people can really experiment with every bite. 

baked brie
serves: 8
prep time: 5 minutes
bake time: 35-40 minutes
rest time: 10 minutes
total time: 50-55 mintues
ingredients: small brie wheel (10-14oz). 1 puff pastry sheet, thawed. 3 tablespoons mixed berry jam. 1 caramelized onion. 1 egg. pastry brush. 2 cups arugula. .5 cup pomegranate seeds. sliced baguette. parchment lined baking sheet. 1 tbs flour for dusting. 

start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f. 

slice your brie wheel in half. 

on one side of the cheese, spread your jam out in an even layer. top with and even layer of caramelized onions and save the rest for crostini add ons. 

place the other half of the wheel back on top and set it aside. 

lightly flour your work surface and lay down your pasty sheet. gently roll it out so it is flat and even. 

place the brie wheel into the center of the pastry sheet and then fold the edges of the sheet up around the wheel. use your fingers to pinch up any open areas, closing up any holes or rough edges.

whisk your egg till lightly beaten and use the pasty brush to lightly cover the puff pasty with egg wash. 

be sparing so the puff pastry doesn't get soggy. 

the puff pastry should still have a bit of a chill to it, if it has warmed to full room temperature, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up. 

place the wheel onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake till golden brown. 35-40 minutes. 

once the puff pastry is golden brown, remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes so the cheese has time to harden up a bit. if you cut right into it, the cheese will be too molten and oozy.

serve on a platter with pomegranate, arugula, pistachios, remaining caramelized onions and sliced baguette. 

xo, a

baked brie
serves: 8
prep time: 5 minutes
bake time: 35-40 minutes
rest time: 10 minutes
total time: 50-55 mintues
ingredients: small brie wheel (10-14oz). 1 puff pastry sheet, thawed. 3 tablespoons mixed berry jam. 1 caramelized onion. 1 egg. pastry brush. 2 cups arugula. .5 cup pomegranate seeds. sliced baguette. parchment lined baking sheet. 1 tbs flour for dusting.
start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f.
slice your brie wheel in half.
on one side of the cheese, spread your jam out in an even layer. top with and even layer of caramelized onions and save the rest for crostini add ons.
place the other half of the wheel back on top and set it aside.
lightly flour your work surface and lay down your pasty sheet. gently roll it out so it is flat and even.
place the brie wheel into the center of the pastry sheet and then fold the edges of the sheet up around the wheel. use your fingers to pinch up any open areas, closing up any holes or rough edges.
whisk your egg till lightly beaten and use the pasty brush to lightly cover the puff pasty with egg wash. be sparing so the puff pastry doesn't get soggy. the puff pastry should still have a bit of a chill to it, if it has warmed to full room temperature, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up.
place the wheel onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake till golden brown. 35-40 minutes.
once the puff pastry is golden brown, remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes so the cheese has
ime to harden up a bit. if you cut right into it, the cheese will be too molten and oozy.
serve on a platter with pomegranate, arugula, pistachios, remaining caramelized onions and sliced baguette. 

yesterday, we celebrated wesley's birthday. because he is slightly sensitive about the subject, i'll do him the kindness of leaving out his age.

we had a pair of pretty awesome days celebrating my favorite person's birth. sunday and monday we spent most of the day at our favorite beach hanging with friends + family, eating delicious food and surfing together. it was pretty much heaven.

while our sunday beach party was a raging success, i have to admit that i am very excited it's over. coordinating your own parties is stressful! i much prefer planning for others.

since most of last week was spent party planning and prepping, everything i whipped up for us was quick and easy.

these glorious figs popped up in my local produce store last week and i knew exactly what do do with them. there is something so luxurious about figs that they instantly fancy up a dish. not to mention, they pair perfectly with salty, flavorful prosciutto.
 

fig & prosciutto crostinis
serves: 16 crostinis
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes
total time: 25 minutes
ingredients: half a french baguette, sliced .25 inch thick. 3 figs, sliced thin (5 to 6 slices a fig). 2 oz triple creme brie. 1 cup roughly chopped arugula. 2 oz prosciutto, roughly chopped. .25 balsamic vinegar. pinch of salt.

start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F.

spread your baguette slices out over a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted. about 7-10 minutes.

while the bread is toasting, crisp the prosciutto. in a small nonstick pan, cook the prosciutto over medium high heat until crispy. about 5-7 minutes. 

remove the prosciutto from the heat and place it on a paper towel. gently blot away any extra grease. roughly chop the crispy prosciutto.

when the prosciutto pan is still hot, pour the balsamic into the pan and let it bubble up. season it with the salt and swirl it until it stops bubbling. remove it from the heat and let the vinegar cool.
 
to assemble the crostinis, spread a thin layer of cheese onto each piece of toast. top the cheese with a few pieces of arugula, a slice of fig and a few crisps of prosciutto. when all the crostinis are assembled, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve. 

xo, a

fig & prosciutto crostinis
serves: 16 crostinis
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes
total time: 25 minutes
ingredients: half a french baguette, sliced .25 inch thick. 3 figs, sliced thin (5 to 6 slices a fig). 2 oz triple creme brie. 1 cup roughly chopped arugula. 2 oz prosciutto, roughly chopped. .25 balsamic vinegar. pinch of salt.
start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F.
spread your baguette slices out over a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted. about 7-10 minutes.
while the bread is toasting, crisp the prosciutto. in a small nonstick pan, cook the prosciutto over medium high heat until crispy. about 5-7 minutes. remove the prosciutto from the heat and place it on a paper towel. gently blot away any extra grease. roughly chop the crispy prosciutto.
when the prosciutto pan is still hot, pour the balsamic into the pan and let it bubble up. season it with the salt and swirl it until it stops bubbling. remove it from the heat and let the vinegar cool.
to assemble the crostinis, spread a thin layer of cheese onto each piece of toast. top the cheese with a few pieces of arugula, a slice of fig and a few crisps of prosciutto. when all the crostinis are assembled, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve.