Hot Honey Baked Brie with Rosemary

Hot Honey and Rosemary Baked Brie is a sweet and spicy appetizer where the heat level is a number you choose, not a surprise. Boiling honey with chili makes the spice hard to predict. This recipe warms the honey briefly, takes it off the burner, and lets pepper flakes and rosemary steep for 10 minutes. The infused honey is strained over a baked 8 oz wheel and topped with walnuts. Prep is 7 minutes, the cheese bakes 12 to 15 minutes, and the whole recipe takes 22 minutes to serve 6.

Why this works

Heat can spoil the delicate flavors in this recipe, so it is kept to a minimum.

• Off-heat infusion. Capsaicin, the compound that makes chili hot, moves into warm honey without cooking. Ten minutes of sitting does the work that heat would ruin.
• Controlled spice. Because the honey sits with the flakes for a set time, you can taste it and decide. The recipe starts mild and gives you room to add more flakes.
• Straining before pouring. Straining the honey over the wheel coats the top evenly and leaves the flakes and rosemary behind for a smooth glaze.
• Walnuts and flaky salt add crunch and a salty edge against the sweet, spicy honey.

Rosemary matters here for balance. Its resinous flavor cuts through the sugar, so the honey tastes layered instead of simply hot and sweet.

What to know about the ingredients

A double cream brie in an 8 oz wheel, about 5 in across, gives a rich center that stands up to spice.

The honey is 3 tablespoons. Use a mild, pourable honey so the infusion tastes of rosemary and pepper rather than a strong floral note.

For heat, 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes is the base amount. If you want real heat, the recipe allows up to 3 g, which is 3/4 teaspoon. Use the larger amount only if you like noticeable spice.

You need 2 fresh rosemary sprigs. One goes into the honey to infuse, and the leaves from the second go on the finished wheel.

Scatter 1/3 cup of walnut halves over the top for crunch, and finish with 1/4 teaspoon of flaky sea salt.

Use fresh rosemary. Fresh sprigs release a pine-like aroma into the warm honey and lift out cleanly, which is why the recipe strains the honey before it goes on the wheel.

Tips for getting it right

• Warm the honey only until it swirls. About 2 minutes over low heat is enough. It should thin out freely, then come off the burner.
• Taste before you commit. After 10 minutes, the honey should smell of rosemary and taste hot at the back of the throat. If you want more heat, let it sit a little longer.
• Score lightly. Cut a crosshatch of 1 in (2.5 cm) squares, about 3 mm deep, until the paler paste shows in the cuts.
• Bake in a snug dish so the sides support the wheel while it softens.
• Check by touch. The center should give under one finger, and the scored top should have parted.
• Strain the honey over the hot wheel. Pour until the top is coated and a little pools at the base.

Because the honey is infused off the heat, you can adjust it after tasting. If it turns out hotter than you wanted, plain honey stirred in softens it. If it is too gentle, let it sit longer before straining.

How to store, freeze and make ahead

The hot honey is the ideal make-ahead part. It keeps 2 months in a sealed jar at room temperature and gets better after a week. That makes it worth doubling the batch for gifts or later use. On the day, you only need to bake the wheel and pour.

The baked brie is best served immediately. Plan to finish it at the table.

What to serve with it

Salted pretzel crisps and fried chicken bites are the pairings from the recipe. The salt and crunch balance the sweet heat well. Sliced pear, apple or plain crackers also work. For a milder sweet option, put the Honey Walnut Baked Brie next to it, and for a fall flavor, the Maple Pecan Baked Brie.

The sweet heat suits salty, crisp food best, so keep the sides simple and let the wheel do the talking.

Variations

• Use the lower amount of pepper flakes for a gentle warmth, or the higher amount for a bolder kick.
• Swap walnuts for pecans.
• Add a second infusion herb such as thyme.
• Use the hot honey on other cheeses and sandwiches, since it keeps well.

For more warm wheels and full boards, see the Baked Brie and Cheese Boards guide.