This simple and delicious Cranberry Brie with Macadamia Nuts & Caramel is so impressive and so deceptively easy. It feels indulgent and sophisticated, but it's ready in about 5 minutes. How awesome is that?
My husband is a Libra to the core. He always needs everyone around him to be happy. If he senses any discord in the group, he will quietly seethe with anxiety until he gets everyone smiling. In many ways, it makes him incredibly thoughtful, caring, and so so charming. But my Aries rising need for challenge and Sagittarius sun foolish optimism sometimes clash with that energy.
I actually thrive under the stress of, say, putting together a big holiday meal or dinner party for friends. I like it when things are hard and find that a bit of stress keeps my fire burning. My loving Libra husband just can't comprehend this and gets himself all worked up about me being stressed out. Luckily, I've learned some secrets to make things like planning holiday meals super easy but still sufficiently impressive.
What makes this Cranberry Brie so awesome?
One of my secret weapons for stress-free holiday entertaining is this festive Cranberry Brie with macadamia nuts and caramel. This is ready in under 5 minutes and looks so impressive. It's mean to be rustic, so all you have to do is toss some simple ingredients onto the top of a wheel of microwaved French cheese and you're golden.
This is so delicious that people will inevitably be super impressed, but really, the cheese is doing all the work. I remember the first time I made this for my dad who I don't think had ever eaten brie before. I'm pretty sure I blew his mind, and I was so proud. The caramel sounds weird, but particularly if you use salted caramel, it really compliments the rich, creamy cheese and the tart cranberries. Trust me, it's freakin' awesome.
Magical Properties of Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia nuts grow in a tree native to Australia, and they're now a common crop in Hawaii. Some speculate that the ancient ancestors in Australia were motivated to create stone tools to get to the delicious nuts inside the hard outer shell. So today, we can call in these buttery nuts for creativity and ingenuity. Use them in spells to help you come up with creative solutions to new problems. (Source: Tree Spirit Wisdom)
For more in the magical properties of the ingredients in this recipe, check the Kitchen Magick page.
Ingredients
Here's everything you'll need to make this awesome appetizer. The full details are in the recipe card below.
- Brie - you'll want a whole wheel
- Dried cranberries
- Macadamia nuts - you can use plain or flavored nuts as you like
- Caramel sauce - I like salted caramel here
Tips for making Cranberry Brie
This really couldn't be easier. The first thing you'll want to do is boil some water in your kettle, put your dried cranberries in a little bowl, and pour some hot water over them to help them plump up a bit. If you wanted to get real fancy, you could toast your nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for a couple of minutes until they start to smell nutty. I don't think it makes that much of a difference, though.
Put your wheel of brie on a plate and pop it in the microwave. Microwave it for about 30 seconds at a time until it feels very soft. How long this takes depends on the size of your brie. Mine obviously burst all over the place in less than a minute, but if you have a large wheel, it may take a bit longer. Just go in short bursts.
Then spread or drizzle your caramel sauce all over the top of the brie. Give your cranberries and macadamia nuts a quick chop, and scatter those over the top. Surround the whole thing with crackers or crostini, pop a butter knife on the plate, and let everyone go to town.
If you can't find brie, camembert or another soft French cheese would also work, though of course, the flavor profile will be slightly different. If you can't get or don't like macadamia nuts, pecans or walnuts would also be good here. Or pistachios for a red and green Christmas vibe.
This Cranberry Brie with macadamia nuts and caramel is practically a no-brainer for holiday entertaining. It takes all of five minutes and tastes incredibly delicious. It doesn't get more awesome than that.
Looking for more awesome cheesy appetizer ideas? Try this Garlic & Thyme Baked Camembert or a Brie en Croute.
PrintHoliday Brie
This simple and delicious Cranberry Brie with Macadamia Nuts & Caramel is so impressive and so deceptively easy. It feels indulgent and sophisticated, but it's ready in about 5 minutes. How awesome is that?
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 1
- Total Time: 5
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Microwave
- Cuisine: None
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sweetened dried cranberries
- ¼ cup dry roasted macadamia nuts
- 2 tablespoons caramel sauce
- 1 small wheel of brie
- Crackers
Instructions
- Place dried cranberries in a small dish of hot water to soak for a few minutes. You can skip this step if you're in a big rush.
- Place unwrapped brie in the center of a large plate and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Give it a little poke in the center. If it feels soft and squishy, you're set. If not, continue to microwave for 30 second intervals until it's gooey all the way through. It shouldn't take very long.
- Drain the water from your dried cranberries and dump them on a cutting board. Add the mac nuts to the pile, and give everything a rough chop. How rough or fine is totally up to you.
- Drizzle or smear some caramel sauce straight on to your brie. Pile your mac nuts and cranberries on top. It's totally fine if they artfully spill over.
- Surround the whole mess with some buttery crackers, cut open your brie with a butter knife and go to town.
Notes
If you're using a bigger wheel of brie, just increase the quantity of the toppings. There's really no need to measure here. Enough to cover the top.
Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for even more awesome party food ideas.
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