Baked Brie with Dried Cherries & Giveaway

Did you know that I wrote a cookbook and it was published? Well, I did! It's called Carrie's Experimental Kitchen: A Collection of Mediterranean Inspired Family Meals and was released December 2012. I love this early compilation of my original, family favorite recipes and the book has received many positive comments. There are over 180 easy to prepare recipes inside and all are definitely worth trying!

You can read more about the book and how to order under the eStore tab, but since this is the week before Thanksgiving and I am so GRATEFUL to each and every one of you that have helped make CEK a success, I'll be sharing a recipe and giving away a signed copy of my cookbook each day this week!

The first recipe I'm going to share with you is for this Baked Brie with Dried Cherries.  The combination of the cherries, pecans, and fresh rosemary give this baked Brie a sweet, woodsy flavor that has been an enormous hit in my home for years. There is no culinary reason to remove the white rind from the cheese; however, I find that when baking it with a crust, it makes it easier for guests to cut through and also becomes easier to spread. ~Enjoy!

Baked Brie with Dried Cherries
Prep Time: 15 minutes   Cook Time: 20 minutes    Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

• 1 19-oz. Wheel of Brie
• 1/2 c. Dried Cherries, softened
• 1/4 c. Whole Pecans
• 1/4 c. Honey
• 1 tsp. Fresh Rosemary, chopped
• 1 pkg. Refrigerated Crescent Roll Dough

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Place whole pecans on a baking sheet, and bake for approximately 5 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove from the oven, cool, and finely chop.
2. While pecans are in the oven, soften cherries in warm water. Drain the water, chop, then set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the cherries, pecans, honey, and rosemary until it forms a paste.
4. Using a small knife, scrape off the white coating on all sides of the Brie, then add the cherry mixture on top.
5. Open the crescent roll dough, and using a rolling pin, roll it out so that it will cover the entire Brie. (It’s okay if you have to piece it together.)
6. Cover Brie with the dough, and place on a baking sheet with the seam side down.
7. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.
8. Remove from the oven, and let cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with crackers. 

Enter for your chance to win a copy of Carrie's Experimental Kitchen cookbook using the Rafflecopter link below. Five (5) lucky winners will be selected and notified on Monday, November 25, 2013. Please read all terms and conditions as this contest is only valid in the Continental U.S. 

Good Luck!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway