Baked Camembert with Fig, Cranberries and Pecans

• This is the perfect holiday appetizer to share, a simple baked camembert or brie cheese wheel, topped with festive fig, cranberries and toasted pecans.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 whole round camembert or brie wheel

• 1/2 cup pecans

• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries

• 3/4 cup fig jam

• 1 tsp orange zest

• 1/4cup water

• (optional dash of brandy)

• Crackers or bread to serve

Preheat oven to 350F 180C

Method:

1. Start by slicing the top of the cheese rind all the way around but you don't have to go all the way through - this makes it easy to take off once it’s melted.

2. Place cheese on a baking tray and pop into the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes

3. I prefer to toast my pecans so pop them in the oven on a separate tray for 8 minutes when the cheese goes in!

4. To make the topping simply add the water, jam, orange zest and cranberries to a small sauce pan and stir together

5. Leave to simmer gently for 5 minutes or until the cranberries have popped and gone soft, if it looks too dry then add a couple more tablespoons of water to loosen the jam up

6. (if you want to make this booze you can add a dash of brandy!)

7. Add the toasted pecans into the cranberries and stir together

8. Take the cheese out and place straight away on a serving plate

9. Using a knife take off the top rind layer

10. Pile the cranberries and pecan over the top and serve immediately with bread or crackers while the cheese is lovely and gooey.