Baked Camembert - Say cheese!

I'm getting very excited. 

CLOBBERED BY CAMEMBERT comes out in less than three weeks. And I have to say it's one of my tastiest mysteries yet. 




{Or at least it has been for me. I've been testing Camembert recipes!}

To celebrate, I'm having a Get Cozy with a Mystery contest, in conjunction with my author pal Kate Carlisle [BIBLIOPHILE MYSTERIES]. It'll be live this Thursday, so look for messages in Twitter, Facebook, my newsletter, and in next week's blog right here. You'll see how easy it is to enter. You could win a signed copy of both Kate's and my new books, as well as a Bibliophile mug and a cheese board (great for serving cookies if you want to get real cozy). It will run through February 1st.

In honor of Clobbered by Camembert, I'm doing a series of Camembert dishes for the next few weeks. 


The first is so easy it's scary.  This is baked Camembert. It is an absolutely gorgeous and delicious way to serve the cheese. Warm and savory, it melts in your mouth.

Set on foil

For those of you who didn't get my recent newsletter, here's a little bit of history about Camembert. The cheese is a soft, bloomy-rind cheese created in Normandy, France in the late 18th century. The original was made with unpasteurized milk and, according to the AOC, (governing laws in France) must still be made with unpasteurized milk. In America, it is made with pasteurized milk. 


The two flavors can be completely different. The ripening process is what gives the cheese its flavor. It is similar to Brie, with a rich, creamy center. At first, the cheese was iffy in color. It wasn't until 1970 that white rind became the standard. Camembert is transported in little round boxes. These boxes made it easier for the cheese to travel great distances, particularly to America, where it is extremely popular. It was often given out to the troops in World War I because it traveled so well.

Enjoy!

BAKED SUPER-EASY CAMEMBERT

Cut off the top, discard.

Ingredients:

1 8 oz. Camembert round

salt

pepper

garlic

cayenne

jam (of your choice)

Season

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. 
Cut off the top rind of the cheese and sprinkle salt and pepper over the bottom portion of cheese. (Discard top)
Set the cheese on foil.

Bake in the oven until softened and the top turns a golden brown, about 20 minutes. 

The cheese bubbles to a golden brown.

Serve on a platter with crackers or crusty bread. 




This is great with fruit jam. 

The center literally oozes with richness.

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I'll be signing books at Mysterious Galaxy in Redondo Beach February 7, Murder on the Books in Houston February 11, and another bookstore (TBA) in the San Francisco Bay Area February 18. Check out my event calendar for more info.

 CLOBBERED BY CAMEMBERT, coming out February 7, 2012.

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