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Searching the pantry for a snack to satisfy my craving, I decided to whip up one of my own; Something nice and simple, with the perfect balance of a little sweet, a little salty, and a little tart. The only possibility: baked camembert with cranberry sauce.

This combination couldn’t be simpler to make, and it spreads perfectly on a toasted slice of French or Ciabatta bread. The trick is to bake the cheese in the wooden box it comes in for a good presentation. Once it’s done baking, spread on the toast, and add some delicious cranberry sauce. Alternatively, bake the camerbert in its wrapper and puncture with a knife to open and peel back to reach the perfectly gooey cheese. For the cranberry sauce, we decided to just make a simple little batch that can be prepared on the stove from scratch. Keep reading below for our favorite baked camembert recipe…

Baked Camembert with Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cranberries fresh or frozen
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup port
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • 1 camembert

Directions

  1. Boil water and port and sugar on the stove, stirring to dissolve. Add the cranberries, then return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the cranberries burst.
  2. Add the add zest to the saucepan along with any extra spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, or even half a pint of blueberries. Stir vigorously to blend and heat for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat, then let cool completely at room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
  3. Once the sauce has chilled, preheat the oven to 350F. Unwrap the camembert and slice in half horizontally. Place back into its wooden box, one half filling the bottom, the other half filling the lid. Make sure the inside of the cheese is facing up. Spread a few teaspoons of the cranberry sauce on top and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. It should be oozing at the touch and still be hot.
  4. Spread the camembert on toast, or even serve as a dip with crackers, celery, apple slices, and of course extra cranberry sauce.
  5. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted fromIf You Can Make That You Can Make This

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