Lars’s Toasted Pecan, Brie and Apple Croûtons

A Little Personal History:

Description:

Ingredients:

• 1 long French bread baguette loaf
• 6 tbsp. melted butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tbsp. peanut oil
• Salt to taste
• ½ cup cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 apple, cut into 24 slices (Red Delicious or other sweet apple variety)
• 8 oz. chilled Brie cheese
• 24 pecan halves

Procedure:

1. Trim skin off chilled Brie cheese, slice into 24 pieces and set aside or back to refrigerator.
2. Cut French bread baguette into 24 1/4 inch slices.
3. Place baguette slices on cookie sheet and brush with melted butter.
4. Bake 8 minutes or until golden brown in 400 degree oven. Remove and allow croûtons to cool.
5. Blend chopped pecans and oil in processor or blender to smooth paste. Season with salt to taste, a pinch at a time. Transfer pecan butter to side dish.
6. Spread cream cheese on each croûton.
7. Core and cut apple into 8 rings, cut each ring into thirds (or 12 rings and then into halves).
8. Top each cream cheese croûton with apple slice, then Brie slice.
9. Spread or drizzle pecan butter over top of each one. Top each with pecan half.
10. Place back on cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees until cheese is melted (2-3 minutes depending on thickness of Brie slices).

Advanced Preparation:

Steps 1 – 6 can be done in advance, covered & refrigerated. Return pecan butter to room temperature when ready for final preparation.

Tips, Notes, and Variations:

• If you’re feeling decorative, put the pecan butter in a pastry decorating bag and spiral, zig-zag, etc the butter on top of each.
• The first time I did this appetizer, I ran just short of pecan butter. I’ve intentionally modified the recipe to ensure there’s always a little butter left over. Goes great with many things.