I wasn’t one of those people who always liked Brie and Camembert cheese. I remember trying them for the first time on a crudite platter many years ago and not really finding the texture of the outer sheath very appealing. I was encouraged by others to keep trying it with hopes that it would grow on me, and I’m glad that I listened. The day finally came when I tried it as a warm appetizer encased in some flaky puff pastry next to a sweet berry compote and roasted almonds — there were moans of orgasmic proportions. Now, I’m so addicted that I always have a slab on hand.
Recently, I was watching one of those TV programs where they visited some of the many food trucks across the nation. One of the trucks served a popular breaded and fried brie on a stick drizzled with honey and served with fresh fruit – a sweeter version of fried mozzarella, but still equally delicious.
It looked so good — the breading formed a thin crust and the cheese just oozed out when you broke into it. I craved for something similar, but began to dream about something even more decadent.
I began to wonder if this would work inside my favorite loukoumades donuts? I could just imagine the delicious creaminess of the cheese against the soft , warm dough, and it seemed like a natural combination that I could easily complement with a sweeter topping or dipping sauce.
It sounded like a great idea, but I wasn’t sure if it would work. The donuts take time to fry in the oil until they turn a lovely golden color — would they ooze out in the oil and create a mess of burned cheese? I didn’t want to chance it, so I decided to freeze the cheese pieces ahead of time and work in small batches until I could figure out the nuances to make this work. After only the first try…success.
These were so delicious that I have bought another hunk of brie to make them again. I discovered that it also helps if you use a brand of brie that is not too soft — something like the commercially available President’s brand will work the best.
These are so delicious that they should be on every restaurant menu across America. Dip them in honey as they come out of the fryer or serve them with a side of sweet berry sauce and sliced fresh fruit. America’s fascination with soft dough and melted cheese doesn’t have to end with pizza, now we have these to keep us happy too.
Brie Filled Loukoumades
1 recipe loukoumades
1 medium wedge of brie or camembert
1 recipe strawberry sauce
Granulated sugar
Sliced fresh fruit **optional
Honey syrup **optional
First you need to prepare the brie. Remove the skin and cut into small pieces, then cover and freeze until solid. Decide how you will serve the loukoumades and make either your honey syrup or berry sauce ahead of time. Store the berry sauce covered in the refrigerator and store the honey syrup covered at room temperature. If you are going to serve sliced fresh fruit, have that prepared ahead of time too.
The soft dough for the loukoumades comes together and proofs fairly quickly. I am a huge fan of Red Star yeast, so when I use dry yeast, I use their product exclusively. For this recipe, I tried the Red Star Platinum Advantage yeast, and the results were even better! Prepare the dough and allow it to proof. When the dough is ready, it should look like this…
Heat your oil for about 10-15 minutes before you begin frying. Always try a test piece of dough to make sure that the oil is at the right temperature before you begin adding the rest. Remove a few pieces of cheese from the freezer and toss them into the dough. Use a tablespoon and cover them completely with the dough and then gently place tablespoons of the brie filled dough into the hot oil.
Fry them until golden brown, then use a slotted spoon and drain them in a paper lined bowl.
If you are going to be serving these with the strawberry sauce, make sure to roll the warm donuts in granulated sugar first. Drizzle the strawberry sauce over the loukoumades or serve it in a small dish for dipping. If you will be serving these with the honey syrup, warm the syrup slightly, and toss the loukoumades into the syrup after you have quickly drained them on paper. Serve immediately.
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