December is a busy month full of holiday parties and gatherings. Over the next few weeks I plan to share some easy to make appetizers and treats so that you can spend more time with your family and friends and less time in the kitchen.

I discovered lingonberry jam when I was making an appetizer for a Gourmet Dinner Club (GDC) gathering a few months ago. Lingonberries were new to me and I really liked their tart flavor. They’re similar to cranberries but are much smaller – closer to the size of a pea. These berries are native to Sweden and found in many Northern European cuisines and are often paired with meat and fish.

I found Darbo’s Wild Lingonberry Sauce (it’s labeled as a ‘sauce’ but it’s really more jam-like) in the European food aisle at my local Wegmans. There are many brands of lingonberry jam and you’re likely to find it in jam section of your grocery store.

At home I harvested the last of my summer thyme and chopped it up to add a bit of savory flavor to the sweet jam. Then I heated up a wheel of camembert and topped it with the lingonberry sauce and fresh thyme.

You could use brie in place of camembert but I prefer the stronger flavor of the camembert when paired with the lingonberry jam. Plus, when melted camembert holds its shape better than brie.

One jar of lingonberry jam will is enough for two wheels of camembert. I’d recommend stocking up so that you have ingredients on hand to make two batches of this simple appetizer. Don’t worry if you don’t have fresh thyme as dried thyme works just fine, too. The colors make for a festive addition to a holiday spread.

Lingonberry-Thyme Baked Camembert

 

Lingonberry-Thyme Baked Camembert
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Recipe type: Appetizer
Author:
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
  • 1 wheel of camembert
  • ⅔ cup (~ 7 ounces) lingonberry jam
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (1 teaspoon dried thyme)
  • Serve with baguette slices or crackers
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Place camembert in a brie baking dish or oven-safe baking dish.
  3. Mix lingonberry jam and thyme in a small bowl. (Alternately you can sprinkle some thyme on top the camembert and lingonberry jam.)
  4. Bake camembert for 15 to 20 minutes until cheese is soft. Carefully slice of the top of the camembert and discard. Top with lingonberry jam and thyme mixture. Bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes.
  5. Serve warm with baguette slices or crackers.
Notes
* You can use brie in place of camembert.
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