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Crispy Baked Camembert in Filo Pastry
Crispy on the outside and impossibly gooey within, this baked camembert makes a stunning centerpiece for any gathering. You'll wrap a whole wheel of cheese in buttered filo pastry, adding a hidden layer of sweet honey and toasted walnuts before sealing it up. Once it emerges from the oven, the golden crust shatters to reveal a molten, savory center that pairs perfectly with crusty bread or crisp apples. It's surprisingly simple to assemble but looks like it took hours.
Equipment
- Oven
- Saucepan
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 60 g (2 oz/¼ cup) butter
- 5 sheets of filo pastry
- 1 camembert cheese
- 6 walnuts
- 2 tablespoons runny honey
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- 2Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Keep your unbuttered filo pastry sheets covered with a slightly damp tea towel while you work. This prevents the delicate sheets from drying out and cracking.
- 3Brush one sheet of filo pastry with the melted butter and lay it flat on the prepared baking tray. Repeat this process with two more pastry sheets, stacking them directly on top of each other.
- 4Set the whole camembert in the center of the stacked pastry. Scatter the walnuts over the cheese and drizzle with the runny honey, then fold the edges of the pastry up and around the cheese to enclose the sides.
- 5Brush the remaining two sheets of filo pastry with butter and drape them over the top of the cheese. Tuck the edges neatly underneath the base to seal the parcel completely so the melting cheese doesn't escape.
- 6Brush the entire outside of the pastry parcel with the remaining melted butter. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the pastry turns crisp and golden brown.
Notes
- Serving: Pair this molten cheese with crusty baguette slices, crisp apple wedges, or plain crackers.
- Prep tip: Filo pastry dries out incredibly fast. Only uncover the sheets right when you're ready to brush them with butter.
- Variation: Swap the walnuts for pecans or pistachios, and try adding a spoonful of fig jam instead of honey.
