Baked Brie with Dried Cherries and Thyme

Ingredients
1 – 1/2 lb. wheel of Brie (about 4-inch diameter), at room temperature
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/3 C. dried cherries, coarsely chopped
2 t. chopped fresh thyme (or a heaping 1/2 t. dried thyme leaves)
1 T. butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Slice off the top rind of Brie and discard.
3. On a sheet of waxed paper or parchment, roll the pastry out to a 12-inch square and cut two 6-inch rounds. Cut leftover dough into small rectangles.

4. Put one of the rounds on a rimmed cookie sheet and sprinkle with half the dried cherries and thyme, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge.

5. Set the Brie, rind side down, on top of the cherry topped pastry, and sprinkle with the remaining cherries and thyme, and cover with the other pastry round. Crimp the edges of the top and bottom pastry together to seal in the cheese.
6. Place the small rectangles of dough 1/2-inch apart on the cookie sheet along with the Brie.
7. Brush the top of the Brie and rectangles of dough with the melted butter.

8. Bake for 10 minutes and remove the rectangles of dough only. Continue baking the brie for another 10 minutes. Let cool for 15-20 minutes and then serve.

Caramel Apple Dip

Caramel and apples . . . the perfect combination! Add a layer of cream cheese and crushed Heath toffee bars and apple slices and ginger snaps for dipping and you have heaven!!! We have my sister-in-law, Connie, to thank for this fabulously easy recipe. I made this for the Ohio State – Iowa tailgate and it was a hit with the 50 or so people with whom we shared plenty of food and fun. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 carton pre-made caramel dip (found in the produce section)
1 – 8 oz. package of cream cheese
1 bag Heath Bar topping or crushed Heath Bars
sliced apples
ginger snaps

Spread the cream cheese on the bottom of a pie plate. Spread the caramel dip on top of the cream cheese and top with the Heath Bar topping. Serve with sliced apples and ginger snaps.