Baked Brie with Grape Balsamic Compote
Today I bring you guys the last of my purple food posts. It took a couple weeks, but we made it! This is another recipe that I’m pretty proud of. I rarely make up my own recipes and this is one of those rare exceptions. For whatever reason, the idea of using grapes to make purple food didn’t cross my mind until the day before the party.
I had put baked brie on the menu and had planned to make a blueberry compote to put on top. But then it hit me – use grapes (duh!) So I used this blueberry sauce as an inspiration for the compote. I wanted it to be thicker, so I bumped up the amount of cornstarch.
I was a bit concerned that it would be too sweet, and I know balsamic pairs well with strawberries, so I decided to make the cornstarch slurry using balsamic vinegar instead of water. It worked like a charm. This grape balsamic compote was nice and thick and had a subtle savory tone from the balsamic. I added some toasted almond slivers to give it some texture and voila – I had created an AMAZING appetizer that was also purple.
The Baked Brie with Grape Balsamic Compote was a huge hit. And I’ve made it twice since the party. I used a goat milk brie wheel so that I could enjoy this appetizer. The goat milk wheels are 6 oz. I believe cow’s milk brie wheels come in 8 oz containers, but you should have enough compote using the recipe below.
I also wanted to share this trick about baking brie with you guys. I can’t remember where I learned this but Hubby was shocked when he saw me pop the “lid” off the brie after it had baked. Prior to baking your brie, use a sharp knife to cut around the top of the rind. You don’t want to cut it completely off, just cut about a 1/4 inch into the brie right under the top all the way around. While the brie is in the oven, the cheese will get all melty and gooey. Then when you take it out of the oven, you can just remove the top of the rind like so:
Hope you guys have enjoyed all the purple food. As a reminder, here are the other foods I serves at my 1000th Post Party:
- Caramelized Red Onion Tart
- Purple Potato, Tomato, and Goat Cheese Bruschetta served in Endive Leaves
- Pulled Pork Sliders with Red Cabbage Slaw
- Radicchio, Strawberry, and Walnut Salad (provided by Fiona)
- Baked Brie with Balsamic Grape Compote
- Purple Ombre Layer Cake (and Video Tutorial on How to Pipe a Rose)
- Blackberry Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
- Roasted Blueberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Two-Berry Coconut Macaroons
Two Years Ago: Homemade Oreos (again)
Three Years Ago: Coconut Lime Cupcakes
Four Years Ago: Dairy Free Mac and Cheese with Broccoli and Cauliflower
Baked Brie with Grape Balsamic Compote
Fruit and cheese are such a classic combination. I used a 6 oz wheel of brie because I use goat milk brie. If you use an 8 oz wheel, bump up the ingredients of the compote a bit as well.
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients:
For the Compote
1 cup black seedless grapes
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
For the Brie
6 oz wheel of brie
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
crackers and/or toasted baguette for serving
Directions:
For the Compote
Poke 2-3 holes in each of the grapes and place in a medium pan. Add the sugar and cook over medium heat. Use a potato masher to encourage the grapes to release their juices.
Combine the cornstarch and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl.
Once the grapes have released most of their juices, stir in the slurry and boil for one minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
For the Brie
Preheat oven to 350.
Place brie round in a small oven-safe dish. Using a sharp knife, cut into the rind about 1/4" all the way around, just under the top of the brie. You don't want to cut the top completely off.
Bake 10 minutes.
Place dish onto a larger platter. Lift the top of the brie with a knife and remove. Spoon grape compote on top of brie. Sprinkle with toasted almonds.
Serve with baguette slices and crackers.
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
I’m guessing you’ve tried Manchego? It’s my favorite sheep’s milk cheese.
I’m lactose intolerant too, and cheese is what I miss most. I’m curious about the goat cheese and sheep’s milk cheese; according to what I’ve read, goats’ milk and sheep’s milk have almost the same amount of lactose as cows’ milk. How is it that the cheese doesn’t have lactose? I’d be interested in any resources you could pass on because I’d love to be able to eat some cheese again!
I’m lactose-tolerant, but according to a Good Eats episode on cheese, most of the lactose is removed during the cheese making process, so that’s why most lactose-intolerant people can eat it. My g/f is Asian and very lactose-intolerant, but she can eat cheese with no problem. Ice cream (which she will eat when she gets the craving) does her no good at all, but cheese is usually fine.
That’s interesting. I know lactose intolerance is different for each person. Unfortunately for me, eating cheese (and ice cream) is like a death-wish, but I have read that cheese that’s made traditionally, aged 2 yrs., has nearly no lactose in it. That’s hard to find though. I haven’t heard that goat cheese and sheep cheese have less lactose. But perhaps most goat and sheep cheese are aged?
I actually have the GE episode on my TiVo (Cheese: Good Milk Gone Bad) and he says that cheeses that have a little age on them have had their lactose consumed by the bacteria so there’s little if any lactose left. I just replayed that portion for the exactish quote.
I think goat/sheep cheese is similar to cow in that it can be fresh or aged. I think Manchego has fresh and aged varieties. If you have a good cheese source nearby, you should be able to find well-aged (2+ years) varieties of cheddar at the very least. A Canadian, English, Irish, or Austrailian. All are very good.
I truly feel sorry for you, as I love a nice extra sharp cheddar, Parma Reggiano, etc.
And really, it’s not my intention to torture you. 🙂
Thanks for looking that up for me! I’ll have to test the waters the next time I’m feeling brave…:) I would LOVE it if I could eat some cheese again!
The only reason I eat goat and sheep milk cheese is because when my doctor told me I was LI, she said I could eat those. So that’s what I’ve been doing. I am very sensative to all cow dairy, but haven’t ever had problems with the goat or sheep cheese…
I haven’t tried Machego… I’ll have to look for it.
I first had Manchego at a tapas place near Phoenix on a cheese and fruit plate. I had no idea what I was missing. 🙂
oh my gosh! a fellow cheese junkie! haha
So I’ve been lactose intolerant since I went away to college… but I still enjoy most of my favorites. Lactaid works wonders!!! I carry the pills around with me all the time and enjoy most of the foods I love. Regarding the different milks, goats milk does indeed have lactose, it is just less than traditional cows milk so more people can tolerate it. I’m sure different processes in which you make cheese, etc could effect it, and everyone’s sensitivity is different as well. I adjusted quickly to Lactaid milk, and they have cottage cheese, ice cream (but i stick to the good ol’ stuff), and some other products I have yet to try. I urge fellow LI folks not to give up your (and my!!) favorite foods!!!
I found this website of sheeps cheese and it appears it is good for people with LI.
http://www.sheepscheese.com/
Yep! Sheep cheese is my friend for sure.
I am severely lactose intolerant but love food and cooking, so this has been a difficult adjustment for me as well. Parmigiana Reggiano is lactose free as well as; Grana Padano, all Finlandia cheeses including Muenster and Lappi. I use Lappi as a substitute for Mozzarella as it has similar texture and flavour. Muenster has worked well as a substitute for many cheeses as it has great flavour. There are some cheeses that I cannot tolerate such as mozzarella. Goat cheese does have lactose, but also has a protein in it that is different from that in cow’s milk. This makes it much more easily digestible and is great for those with lactose intolerance. Hope this is helpful! p.s. – I make my own ice cream by making creme anglaise with lactose free 2% milk.