Brie With Pear and Chocolate Wine Sauce

Submitted by Corrinne J

"This will surely impress Mom this Sunday! A sweet and savory snack or great during Brunch, the creamy baby brie and sweet chocolate will create a one of a kind special day!"

 

• Ready In: 25mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Yields: 40 toasts
• Serves: 20

ingredients

• 118.29 ml red wine
• 59.16 ml sugar
• 29.58 ml chopped bittersweet chocolate
• 1 loaf French bread, sliced into 40 slices
• 59.14 ml olive oil
• 374.21 g package alouette baby brie cheese, Original
• 59.16 ml almonds, finely chopped
• 1.23 ml allspice
• 2 ripe pears, peeled and finely diced

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Combine wine and sugar in a non-reactive saucepan and reduce over medium heat for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir in the chocolate to blend and set aside.
4. Brush bread slices with olive oil and broil until golden brown on both sides. Cool.
5. Cut wheel of Alouette Baby Brie into 4 quarters. Cut each quarter into 10 slices. Lay slices on a chilled plate.
6. In a small skillet, over medium heat, toss the chopped almonds until golden brown.
7. Remove from heat, add allspice and blend. Set aside to cool.
8. Peel and finely dice pears.
9. Assembly:.
10. Place the French bread slices on a cookie sheet. Spread a ½ teaspoon of the chocolate wine sauce on each slice.
11. Divide the minced pear equally among the slices.
12. Lay a slice of Alouette Baby Brie on top of each “crouton” and sprinkle with toasted almonds.
13. Heat in oven for 5 minutes.

Reviews

[Crunchy Numbers]

Delicious and different. I found it more savory than sweet, but it may depend on how much of the chocolate wine sauce you drizzle on the bread. I cheated and used packaged toasted sliced almonds and just sprinkled them with cinnamon and nutmeg. Also sprinkled some of the spice directly onto the diced pears. While I used a nice red wine for the sauce, I think grape juice would be a fine substitute (and cheaper, too). My grocery store had a package of 8 small brie wedges and each wedge made 6 perfect-sized slices. This was simple to prepare and much of it can be done ahead.

 

[CharleneApril]

I made this for a party and it was a hit! Though I did some things a bit differently and still YUMMY!!! For the chocolate I used bittersweet chocolate chips...which worked great! I could only find the spreadable brie cheese. I used over ripe pears from Mexico. And I used slivered almonds to toast. I did not feel the need to warm these in the oven for 5 minutes either! My Mom especially was just in heaven...couldn't stop eating these! Oh- and I dusted a very light bit of all-spice over the finished product, which made them look prettier (as in your picture)! I would consider this a time consuming appetizer to put together, but it was worth it! Some of my guests thought this tasted more like a dessert, I think they fair perfect as an appetizer! Thanks for sharing!