Festive Baked Camembert

Is there anything more comforting on a cold Sunday evening than hunkering down in front of the TV with some cheese and crackers. Get the recipe below.

Christmas Cheese

As winter draws in and we get ever closer to Christmas then the cheeseboard comes out. Whether you've had a day out Christmas shopping or have been for a wonderful winter walk, having cheese and crackers for dinner is the perfect Christmas meal.

When we sat down to our usual cheese supper I decided I had to add some festive flavours! We often opt for this lazy supper after a busy weekend and in the winter we don't want any old cheese, it's got to be something warm and gooey just like this Festive Baked Camembert!

Festive flavours for your cheeseboard

There are lots of recipes for baked camembert all over the internet but as we get ever closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas I wanted to do something that included festive flavours like cranberries and walnuts. Cranberries are everywhere this time of year from cranberry infused gin, cranberry and pistachio nougat and even cranberry scented candles (Yankee I'm looking at you!)

Adding a good quality, sweet yet sharp cranberry sauce works well to cut through the rich cheese while the walnuts add extra texture and the herbs make this one well rounded dish. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a bowl of wrinkly walnuts on the coffee table and this is a great way to use up those extra nuts.

I've seen lots of recipes that suggest chucking all of the ingredients in with the camembert when it bakes but I think there's something to be said for stuffing the camembert with the garlic and herbs before baking then spooning on the cool cranberry sauce and toasted nuts for a contrast in temperatures and textures. The flavour experience of a dish isn't just about sweet, sour, bitter and salty. It's about the difference between hot and cold, soft and crunchy. This Festive Baked Camembert has all of this and more!

Celebrating with friends and family

What I love about the baked camembert is that it's sharing food. No-one human could eat a whole camembert to themselves (trust me...I've tried...) and so it's the type of dish you serve up and everyone dives into.

You could just as easily serve this up at the end of a meal as part of your cheese course, on your buffet table, or in front of the TV like we did! Just one word of warning, the best and worst thing about this recipe is the molten cheese. Have a stack of napkins at the ready!

The recipe

Festive Baked Camembert

A ooey-gooey baked camembert is a delicious starter or addition to a cheeseboard.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine French

Servings 4 people

Calories 344.76 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1 camembert
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 springs rosemary
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 tablespoon walnuts
• 1 tablespoon cranberry sauce
• 8 slices white bread e.g. baguette or sourdough

Instructions

 

• Take the cheese out of its packaging and place into an oven dish.
• Cut slits into the top of the cheese, not going further than halfway through.
• Peel and slice the garlic and poke into the slits along with the sprigs of rosemary and thyme.
• Cover and bake in the oven at 150C for 30 minutes.
• In the last 5 minutes of cooking, toast the walnuts in a frying pan (no oil) for a few minutes until you can begin to smell the toasted nuts.
• Spoon the cranberry sauce straight on top of the cheese and sprinkle with the toasted nuts.
• Serve with crusty white bread to dip into the molten cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 344.76kcalCarbohydrates: 27.87gProtein: 16.68gFat: 18.66gSaturated Fat: 9.32gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 40.68mgSodium: 722.97mgPotassium: 200.02mgFiber: 2.04gSugar: 4.36gVitamin A: 505.9IUVitamin C: 1.71mgCalcium: 365.41mgIron: 2.4mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

We'll definitely be devouring another festive baked camembert or two before the year is over. I don't know about you but I think I get through more than my body weight in cheese during the 12 days of Christmas alone! With that in mind, I better go and make a start on that Alpine Cheese Fondue post I've been working on...

How to build a Christmas Cheese Board

Not had enough cheese yet? Why not check out my definitive guide to building the best cheese board this Christmas.

More Christmas recipes

For more Christmas recipes check out the Christmas recipe archive.