Tear apart crispy pesto twists and dip them into melted, hot cheese… I almost dare to promise that this dish will earn you compliments! For me, at least, it has since it is one of my most popular recipes ever. Baked Camembert with pesto twists is surprisingly easy to make, serves a festive crowd, and looks beautiful on the table — almost like having its own program number at your party.

Ingredients

Serves 10

• 1 Camembert cheese in a wooden box (important to keep the melted cheese in place after baking!)
  
  
  

• 2 large sheets of puff pastry (about 500 g total)
  
  
  

• 1 jar of fresh pesto
  
  
  

• 1 egg, for brushing
  
  
  

• Olive oil
  
  
  

• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
  
  
  

• Fresh thyme

  
  

Instructions

Check out my tutorial video (in Finnish) here.

1. Defrost the puff pastry sheets. Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
   
   
   

2. Roll the pastry sheets a bit thinner. Place one sheet on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and spread pesto evenly over it. Place the second sheet on top. Use the disc of camembert as a guide and cut a circle from the center of the pastry the size of the cheese.
   
   
   

3. Carefully remove the plastic wrapping from the cheese, place it back in its wooden box, and set it in the center of the pastry. Score a light criss-cross pattern on the surface of the cheese with a sharp knife. Tuck the garlic slices into the cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle thyme leaves on top.
   
   
   

4. Cut the pastry around the cheese into thin strips and twist them around so that the pesto peeks through. Use the circular cut-out pastry to make a few extra twists and place them on the tray as well. Brush the pastry twists with beaten egg and bake in the oven for 10–15 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden brown.
   
   
   

5. Let cool slightly before serving, and let everyone dip the pesto twists into the melted cheese.