Hi it's Jo-Anna from A Pretty Life Blog back to share a delicious recipe with you!  With the holiday season fast approaching I thought it was the perfect time to share this Brie with Cranberry Balsamic Chutney appetizer recipe that you can serve at your next holiday gathering!

The holiday season is the perfect time to gather your loved ones and spend time together over great company, scrumptious food and delicious drinks! One of my favourite ways to entertain during this time of year is to host an appetizer night, as opposed to a full sit down dinner.  While I love creating meals for friends and family, sometimes offering a variety of appetizers instead of a full meal, takes the pressure off of entertaining.  And with this time of year, any opportunity to alleviate pressure is the best!

I wanted to create an appetizer that was easy to make, delicious and also represented the foodie spirit of the season.  And because I love Brie cheese, I wanted to make something to pair with it, and right away I thought of cranberries.  Cranberries aren’t just meant for turkey dinners!  But I do love a homemade cranberry sauce, so I decided to start there as the base of my Cranberry Balsamic Chutney.  I wanted to really enhance the flavour of the sauce and give it some savoury tones, so I added sprigs of fresh rosemary and a splash of balsamic vinegar.  The tartness of the cranberries with the sweetness from the orange juice, combined with fresh rosemary and balsamic vinegar made for a perfect pairing with the creaminess of the Brie cheese.  

I served this chutney with a Brie wheel at room temperature only because this is the way I enjoy Brie cheese, but you could also bake the Brie to soften it up if you wanted.  Then serve it up with slices of fresh baguettes and enjoy with a glass of Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.  A perfect holiday appetizer!

This Brie with Cranberry Balsamic Chutney is a perfect festive appetizer.  With one of the most loved flavours of the Christmas season, this appetizer is sure to be a hit at your next gathering!

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Brie with Cranberry Balsamic Chutney

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: 3-6

Ingredients

• 2 cups of fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 3 tsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. To a saucepan add the fresh cranberries, sugar, water and orange juice.
2. Simmer the mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries start to soften and the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the fresh rosemary and balsamic vinegar.
4. Turn up the heat to low-medium and continue to cook until the cranberries burst and the sauce is the consistency that you like. This takes about 10 minutes or so.
5. Once the mixture has thickened, remove the rosemary sprig.
6. Cool the sauce to room temperature before serving.
7. Once it has cooled, pile it on to a Brie wheel, and serve with slices of fresh baguette.
8. Enjoy with a nice glass of Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon!

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Recipe Tips:

You can serve this chutney with baked Brie as well!  Just put your Brie wheel in a 400 degree oven, and bake it for about 5 minutes or until the Brie has softened slightly.  Then top with the chutney and enjoy!

This Cranberry Balsamic Chutney would make a perfect hostess gift!  Stop by my blog for an idea on how to package and offer this as a lovely holiday gift!

Have a delicious day!
Jo-Anna

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