Many years ago, I was invited to a dinner party at the home of one of the managing partner of one Boston's largest law firms. Aside from the stark fear I would commit some unforgivable gaffe, the only thing I remember clearly about that evening is — of course — the food. The dinner itself was nothing extraordinary, but the appetizers included something I'd never had before: baked brie.

It was a simple dish with slivered almonds and something sweet drizzled over the warm, gooey cheese. Even though it was a bit perilous to eat, with drips constantly threatening to fall from each cracker, it was worth the risk.

Since then, this indulgent concoction has remained associated with elegance for me, and I have served it successfully at dinner parties myself. Recently I discovered a piece of brie in the back of my fridge; I had intended to use it over the holidays, but it was lost in the shuffle. I came up with this recipe when I wanted a simple, fast, tasty snack that would really satisfy.

I ate it with a spoon, but you could easily use apple or red pepper slices to scoop it up, as with a dip. Needless to say you could scale this up to use as a crowd-pleaser, but that's not really the point. Sometimes, you want something really delicious, that's neither chocolate nor difficult to assemble. This snack fits the bill exactly.

Decadent Brie Snack
1 serving

• 1 ounce of brie
• 1 T chopped pecans
• 1 T chopped dried apricots
• 1 T sugar free vanilla syrup

Trim the rind off the brie (it can be bitter), and chop it into a rough dice.

Put the cheese, pecans, and apricots in a small microwave-safe dish; drizzle the sugar free syrup over all.

Microwave on high for 30 seconds, or until the cheese is just starting to melt. This doesn't take too long, as brie is very soft to begin with.

Stir and enjoy!

APPROXIMATE NUTRITION INFORMATION:
142 calories, 12 g fat, 4 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 7 g protein

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Copyright © February 2007  Joan Hedman and Low Carb Luxury