Food /

Brockmans Baked Camembert

Tis the season of holiday parties. Where everyone tries to create festive appetisers either in the shape of a Christmas tree or altering food with red and green dye. But oftentimes simpler is better, and traditional winter comforts just need a bit of transformation…

Introducing Brockmans Baked Camembert with fresh blackberry sauce. The recipe was designed by Manchester-based family food blogger Jane Arschavir (aka HodgePodgeDays) who is a self-professed gin enthusiast since her university days. As a regular writer for Gin Festival and judge at the International Cheese Awards, she combined her two loves in this festive dish. A busy Mum, she’s best known for her achievable, yet nutritious meals and activities for chidren… perhaps why gin remains a staple food group in her home! So scoop out a bit of Camembert, add a dash of Brockmans, and leave it in the oven to bake as you stir up a warming blackberry sauce. We’d recommend one of our winter cocktails to pair alongside it, or a classic B&T.

Brockmans Baked CamembertBrockmans Baked Camembert with fresh blackberry sauce

By Jane Arschavir

Ingredients

Camembert

  • 1 whole Camembert in a wooden box
  • Sprig of thyme
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • ½ tablespoon of Brockmans Gin
  • Pepper, freshly ground

For the sauce

  • 100g fresh blackberries
  • 1 tablespoon of water
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
  • Pepper, freshly ground

Method

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 200°. Unwrap your Camembert and put back in the wooden box. Carefully cut a circle out of the top of the cheese rind and scatter a crushed clove of garlic, a good amount of thyme leaves and a grind or two of black pepper. Carefully add your Brockmans gin and replace the lid. Loosely cover the camembert in foil and put in the oven to bake for 25-30minutes until wobbly in the middle.
  2. While your Camembert is baking, put 100g of fresh juicy blackberries in a saucepan. Add the water and sugar and cook on a low heat, stirring regularly until the blackberries have softened and are starting to collapse. At this point, add the balsamic vinegar and the black pepper. Taste and add more seasoning or sugar if you need to depending on how sweet your blackberries are. Once cooked, pour into a small dish.
  3. Once your Camembert is cooked, carefully remove from the oven and place the cheese in its wooden box on a platter, garnish with a couple of sprigs of thyme and serve with your warm blackberry sauce and crusty bread. Gin and tonic on the side is optional, but encouraged…