This one looks far fancier than the effort it takes. A wheel of brie is rolled flat, trimmed and reconstructed into a wobbly rectangle and placed on a sheet of chutney smeared puff pastry, topped with honey and a spoonful of tangelo paste or jam, then the edges are rolled up and it all bakes on a preheated pan until deeply golden. Go easy on the sauce underneath so the base stays crisp. It’s an impressive sharing plate that disappears in the first five minutes of a Mahjong night and is a wonderfully different way to do cheese and bikkies.

BAKED BRIE & TANGELO PUFF PASTRY PARCEL

Ingredients

• 200g wheel brie (or camembert), well chilled
• 1 sheet puff pastry (approx. 25cm square), just thawed
• 2 tbsp chutney or a combo of sauces in total – tomato chutney, BBQ sauce, tomato sauce, sweet chilli or a mix
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp Tangelo and Finger Lime Paste, or any jam or marmalade
• 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

Before the edges get rolled in

Method

1. Put a cast iron pan or heavy baking tray in the oven and preheat to 200°C. This will take a while.
2. Roll the chilled 200g brie between two sheets of baking paper until it’s roughly doubled in width, about the width of the pastry sheet. The rind won’t stretch thin – it breaks into chunks, which is fine and looks interesting.
3. Lay the pastry sheet on a fresh piece of baking paper. Spread 2 tbsp chutney or sauce over the pastry, leaving a 4cm border clear all round. Don’t be tempted to add more – extra sauce makes the base sloshy.
4. Lay the rolled brie on top. Trim the curved sides back so there’s a 4cm border of pastry along each side, then place the trimmings at the ends to make a rectangle, still keeping a 4cm border.
5. Drizzle 1 tbsp honey over the cheese and dot and spread the 2 tbsp of tangelo paste over the top.
6. Roll the pastry edges up and over the edge of the cheese all the way round, keeping the rectangle shape. Leave the centre open with the cheese showing.
7. Brush the rolled pastry edges with the beaten egg.
8. Take the hot pan or tray out of the oven and slide the parcel, still on its baking paper, onto it.
9. Bake for 18–25 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and deeply golden. Check from 18 minutes.
10. Lift the parcel out by the baking paper and move it onto a wire rack. Rest for 5 minutes so the base stays crisp.
11. Slide onto a board, slice into chunks and serve with apple and other fruit slices.

Notes

Sauce: 2 tbsp in total is the limit. Thin sauces like sweet chilli run in the oven, so don’t add extra.

Cheese: camembert is a straight swap for brie.

Topping: any jam or marmalade works in place of the tangelo paste; quince or fig paste are good too, A few pomegranate arils or anything interesting goes.

Make ahead: assemble up to the egg wash stage a few hours ahead and refrigerate on its baking paper. Egg wash and bake just before serving.

Serves 6 as a shared snack.