Baked Camembert Galette in Puff Pastry with Caramelized Apples

Baked Camembert is one of those appetizers that instantly commands a room. This baked camembert galette is swaddled in crisp puff pastry, with buttery pan-fried apples, spiced apple jam, toasted nuts, and dried fruits, all layered together with the sliced camembert.

Elegant and rustic in appearance, with a sweet and savory flavor profile, and a texture that's equal parts luxurious and decadent, this is one appetizer that not only makes you look like a host extraordinaire, but will also have you looking like a culinary pro - and all with blissfully minimal effort.

What makes this recipe unique is that instead of wrapping the camembert cheese entirely in the puff pastry, we're instead building a gorgeous, open-faced galette. We slice the camembert, and then layer it with spiced apple jam, chopped pecans, dried apricots, craisins, and fresh rosemary. Then we bake all of that in buttery puff pastry until the pastry is golden and the camembert cheese is bubbly, and then finish it with stove-top caramelized apples fried in butter and cinnamon sugar.

Read on for a complete ingredient checklist, an overview of camembert vs brie, tips for making the best camembert galette possible, and a printable recipe card.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Baked Camembert Galette
• Ingredients You'll Need
• Camembert vs Brie: Choosing the Right Cheese
• Preventing a Soggy Galette Bottom
• Galette Fold vs Fully Wrapped En Croûte
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• How to Cleanly Slice and Serve the Molten Cheese
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Baked Camembert Galette in Puff Pastry with Caramelized Apples

Why You'll Love This Baked Camembert Galette

I still remember the first time I served a baked camembert. It was for a Thanksgiving get-together. It was the centerpiece of my appetizer spread, paired with homemade crusty bread, crostini, charcuterie, and a medium-bodied red wine such as a Cabernet Franc. I cannot tell you how much of a hit it was. The camembert was the first thing gone from the spread, and the savory aromas of the rosemary and baked cheese really set the mood for the whole evening.

• Elegant Entertaining: This recipe comes together in just a few key steps, but looks and tastes like a centerpiece from a gourmet bakery, and uses only simple ingredients.
• Masterful Texture Balance: We're balancing flaky, golden crust with molten camembert cheese, toasted pecans, and a little bit of chew from the dried fruit, with all of this finished with the buttery texture of the caramelized apples.
• Holiday Favorite: Whether setting up an autumn wine night or an appetizer spread for Thanksgiving, this camembert galette is a sure way to impress the guests and steal the show.

Ingredients You'll Need

For the Galette and Layered Filling

• 16 oz Wheel of Camembert Cheese
  • Substitute: You can also use brie. Baked brie is also delicious and works just as well as Camembert.
• 1 Sheet of puff pastry
  • Note: Thaw the puff pastry according to the directions on the box.
• 1 egg, beaten
• Fresh rosemary sprigs

Spiced Apple Jam Spread

• ¼ cup Apple Jam
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • Fresh ground is best: A big part of this recipe's appeal is the rich aromatics, and freshly ground black pepper has far superior aromas to pre-ground. So, if available, I would strongly recommend opting for fresh ground.

Fruit and Nut Layering Toppings

• ¼ cup pecans, chopped
  • Substitute: Walnuts would be my go-to substitute.
• ¼ cup dried apricots, chopped
• ¼ cup dried craisins, chopped
  • Substitute: Any dried fruit of your choice. My go-to substitute would be raisins, at a 1-to-1 ratio.

Caramelized Apple Crown

• 1 apple, sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

Camembert vs Brie: Choosing the Right Cheese

While it is true that camembert and brie are often used interchangeably and are very similar cheeses overall, there are some important differences worth noting, which play into the reasons why I personally prefer camembert for this recipe. Here's why:

• Flavor Profile: While both cheeses have similar flavors, the flavors are by no means identical. Camembert offers an earthier, bolder flavor, with a somewhat mushroom-forward essence. This contrasts with brie's much milder, almost buttery lightness. The extra depth and boldness offered by camembert is what makes it pair so well with the cinnamon and pepper in this recipe, and what makes it an ideal base for the apple jam.
• Structural Integrity: We're using a substantial 16 oz. wheel, which allows for the thickness required to slice the cheese horizontally without it collapsing. Camembert, in particular, holds its shape beautifully, while brie is slightly more fragile.

If you're looking for a classic sweet-and-spicy brie alternative, wrapped entirely in puffy pastry, be sure to check out our Baked Brie in Puff Pastry, which we prepare with strawberry jam and chili crisp.

Preventing a Soggy Galette Bottom

This recipe has a lot of moisture, as we've got melted cheese, jam, and fruit. To prevent the moisture from soaking through and sogging the bottom of the crust, you need to adhere to our layering technique.

With that said, here's how to prevent a soggy galette bottom:

1. The Fat-Rich Shield: We can use the rind as a natural moisture barrier. We do this by slicing the cheese wheel in half and then placing the bottom half rind-side down, directly against the dough to create a physical barrier against moisture. The bottom rind and the fat from the cheese, in essence, form a seal or moisture barrier that prevents the fruit juices and the cheese's own moisture from seeping into the unbaked pastry.
2. Moisture-Absorbing Fillings: Moisture can't reach the galette bottom if other ingredients absorb the moisture first. Pecans, dried apricots, and craisins all act as sponges, soaking up moisture. As the jam warms in the oven, the dried fruits work to absorb the liquid released from the jam, keeping some of the moisture trapped inside the cheese layers - which, in turn, makes the cheese itself delicious.
3. Chilled Pastry: Keep the puff pastry chilled right up until it enters the oven. The chilled layers expand rapidly in high heat, which guarantees maximum lift and crispness.

Galette Fold vs Fully Wrapped En Croûte

If you're wondering why you should opt for an open galette fold as opposed to a traditional enclosed pastry wrapping, called En Croûte, for this recipe, there are three big reasons. Here they are:

• Direct Caramelization: Leaving the center exposed is what allows the top layer of the cheese, spiced jam, pecans, and dried fruit to bake directly under the heat of the oven. This, in turn, produces rich caramel notes and toasted nutty aromas.
• Visual Appeal: By leaving the center open, we're showcasing all of the rich goodness this galette has to offer, meaning the medley of dried fruit, the rosemary garnish, and molten cheese, which provides a gorgeous, rustic bistro-style appearance straight from the baking sheet.
• Balanced Pastry-to-Cheese Ratio: Enclosing the galette fully often results in thick, doughy corners. Granted, this is sometimes a worthy trade-off in certain recipes, such as the baked brie I linked to above. However, for this recipe, we want full visual appeal and full textural consistency for the sake of the camembert.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep and Whisk the Spiced Spread

Start off by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F. Then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together a quarter cup apple jam, a tablespoon of lemon juice, a tablespoon of honey, a quarter teaspoon of salt, a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon, and a quarter teaspoon of black pepper until smooth, and set it aside.

Step 2: Slice and layer the Cheese Wheel

Our next step is to slice the 16-ounce wheel of Camembert in half horizontally using a sharp knife, preferably a chef's knife or a serrated knife. Then lightly roll out the sheet of puff pastry onto your parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle a little of the spiced apple jam spread onto the center of the puff pastry sheet.

Assemble the Layered Galette

1. Place the bottom half of the Camembert wheel rind side down in the center of the pastry sheet.
2. Spoon a portion of the spiced jam over the top of the cheese.
3. Sprinkle half of the chopped pecans, dried apricots, craisins, and a few fresh rosemary leaves over the cheese.
4. Set the top half of the Camembert wheel directly over the filling, pressing it down gently.
5. Drizzle the remaining apple jam over the Camembert, and sprinkle with the remaining pecans, apricots, and craisins.

Fold and Bake

Once the Camembert cheese is assembled on the pastry dough, we then fold the outer edges of the puff pastry sheet inward toward the cheese wheel. Pleat the dough as you work around the circle made by the cheese, similar to how you would with a rustic fruit galette. Then brush the exposed dough evenly with the egg wash. Finally, bake the galette at 400°F for 20 minutes, or until the pastry dough is puffed and a deep golden brown.

Caramelize the Apples and Garnish

As the galette bakes, set a small saucepan over high heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of cinnamon sugar. Then add the sliced apples and fry, stirring occasionally until they become golden and tender. Once the galette comes out of the oven, layer the caramelized apples directly on top and garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs.

How to Cleanly Slice and Serve the Molten Cheese

Molten cheese is often a delightfully messy appetizer. However, with just a few simple techniques, you can keep the presentation pristine. Here's how:

• The 5 Minute Rest Rule: Allow the baked galette to rest on the baking sheet for 5 to 7 minutes before moving it or slicing it. This short cooling period allows the melted cheese to set slightly without losing its gooey goodness, and that in turn prevents the camembert from collapsing or creating a cheese avalanche on your appetizer board.
• Use a Warm Offset or Serrated Knife: Slicing clean wedges is key to keeping things neat and the presentation pristine from the first slice to the last. For clean slicing, I recommend using a sharp knife that has been warmed under hot water. Conversely, you can use a serrated knife to gently saw through the cheese.
• Pair with Sturdy Accompaniments: I recommend serving this alongside crusty baguette slices, artisan crackers or homemade crostini, or with fresh fruit slices such as apples or pears. I say this because these pairings are capable of holding the cheese without giving way or sogging through.

Frequently Asked Questions

Print

And that's our Baked Camembert Galette in Puff Pastry with Caramelized Apples. If you enjoyed this recipe, or have any questions or suggestions, let us know in the comments below. We always love hearing from you!

Happy Cooking!