12 Days of Easy Appetizers: Brie with Honeyed Walnuts

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One of the reasons I relish any holiday season is I have (more of) an excuse to entertain friends and family. Comfort and joy for me is a house full of guests savoring good food, drink, and company. But, as much as I love to entertain, it’s not the only thing I want or need to do during the busy holidays. When I’m pressed for time but want to put a lovely menu together for guests, I often rely on simple dishes that showcase high-quality ingredients. The ingredients do all of the hard work and I get to take the credit.

In the spirit of making entertaining fun and less stressful, I’m devoting the next 12 posts to easy appetizers for a party, dinner, or any other entertaining occasion. I’ll share eleven of my favorites and on the twelfth day I’ll gather together a list of many others for you to try out this holiday season. If you have a favorite recipe for easy appetizers, be sure to share it with me in the comments so I can add it to the post on day 12.

The first recipe in the series, and the one that inspired me to put this collection of posts together, is one my mother served at a casual dinner just after Thanksgiving. It’s an easy alternative to the traditional baked brie and really allows the flavor of the cheese and nuts to stand on their own. A touch of brown butter and honey bring the dish together in gooey, melty goodness that everyone will enjoy.

Recipe: Brie with Honeyed Walnuts

Details

• Difficulty: Easy
  
• Serves: 6-8
  
• Prep Time: 10 min
  
• Cook Time: 5 min
  

Ingredients

• 8 oz. brie round
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• ½ c. walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• Assorted crackers and bread

Instructions

1. Cut the top ¼ inch of the brie off to remove the rind and set the cheese on a serving plate.
2. Melt the butter in a small non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook until the majority of the bubbles disappear and the butter starts to brown lightly.
3. Add the walnuts to the melted butter and sauté for 2 minutes.
4. Add the honey to the pan, stir to combine, and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Pour over the brie round and serve with the bread or crackers.

Recipe for Success

• This would work just as well with a wedge of brie, but like the way it looks with a small round. You could also buy a large round and double the walnut and honey mixture.
• Choose honey with a warm flavor profile for this dish like sage honey or fireweed honey for a warm, rich flavor to compliment the nuts and brie.
• You want fairly large pieces of walnut so guests can get a bit of honey and walnut in every bite.
• Sliced apples or pears would also be lovely served alongside this dish.