Brie
WISCONSIN BRIE TORTE
1 - 14 oz. (or 2 8-ounce) mature     Wisconsin Brie cheese wheel 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts 1/3 cup finely chopped ripe olives 2 tablespoons chopped fresh     basil leaves, or 2 teaspoons dry basil
Place Brie in freezer about ¸ hour until very firm.  Carefully cut into halves, horizontally; set aside.  In small bowl, cream butter and garlic.   Mix in walnuts, olives and basil and blend thoroughly.  Spread evenly on cut side of one of the Brie halves.  Top with the other half, cut side down.  Press together lightly; wrap and chill.  Bring to room temperature before serving.   makes 12 appetizer servings.
Tip: To check ripeness of Brie, gently, but firmly press the wrapped cheese: Resilient or soft = ripe; Hard or firm = under ripe. Tip: Brie is overripe or has been mishandled when you can smell a strong ammonia odor or when the rind is dry and cracked.

BAKED BRIE WITH ALMONDS

1/4 cup whole blanched almonds 2 tablespoons butter 1 8-inch wheel Wisconsin Brie cheese French bread Apple and pear wedges

Preheat oven to 350¡F.  In a small skillet, sautŽ almonds in butter, stirring constantly until almonds are lightly browned.  Place Brie on cookie sheet.   Arrange the almonds in border on top of Brie.  Bake at 350¡F for 20 minutes or until warm and heated through.  Serve warm as a spread on bread or fruit.   Makes 24 servings.

Heritage: Wisconsin has become an important source of Brie for American consumers.  Many French cheese producers have chosen to make these cheeses in Wisconsin, because they have found the composition of milk here to resemble closely that of the French regions that produce these cheeses. Wisconsin Brie is formed in the shape of a disc with a thin, edible white crust.   Brie is a soft-ripened cheese sometimes known as "bloomy rind cheese."   That's because it is flavored by an edible mold that leaves a powdery white bloom on the cheese surface as it ages.

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