First place: Michelle’s herbed brie wheel

Second Place: Michaela’s tooty-fruity baked brie with apple brandy

Third Place: Tara’s raspberry walnut baked brie

Chef’s choice award: Dara’s pan-fried brie with persimmon salsa canapes

Thanks again to everyone who participated in the Bash for Cash. Happy Holidays and Bon Appetit!

Voting for the Holiday Bash for Cash cheese appetizer recipe contest ended Dec. 21.

The Cheese Lover’s blog would like to thank everyone who voted – and especially everyone who participated  in the contest. The recipes were fabulous.

Please check back Dec. 23 to find out who WON THE HOLIDAY BASH FOR CASH!

We’ll be announcing the top three recipes as well as the special chef’s prize!

Our bash for cash appetizer recipe contest has moved into the voting stage and now it’s up to all cheese lover’s who visit Ile de France to vote on a winner!

With $1,000 going to the winner and other great prizes to be delivered, be sure to choose wisely! There are truly divine recipes included in our bash for cash contest, so be sure to try some out over the next few weeks and throughout the year as well!

* Click on the name of each recipe to view it, and rate it by selecting the star rating – from one to five – you think it deserves. Each voter is allowed one vote per recipe. Your rating is recorded in the system once you have selected a rating for the first time, so choose wisely!

Dara’s pan-fried brie with persimmon salsa canapes

Storm’s Azumaya won ton wrappers

Craig’s BLT wraps

Katie’s perfect stuffed mushrooms

Megan’s cantaloupe-goat cheese bites

Andre’s apple stuffed brie cheese and strawberry sauce

Holley’s brie cheese appetizer

Catherine’s goat cheese and shallots

Monique’s goat cheese ball

Christo’s goat cheese stuffed olives

Bella’s easy and elegant raspberry and brie puffs

Angelina’s goat cheese cookies

Wolfgang’s Louisiana goat cheese and blue crab beignets

Angelina’s French cheese pizza

Kristi’s brie and cherry kolaches

Susan’s goat cheese and veggie croustillant

Steph’s tomato, spinach, and goat cheese stacks

Courtney’s duck fat and garlic “toasted” camembert mini grilled cheese

Tara’s rasberry walnut baked brie

Lily’s English Pea Two-Cheese Dumplings

Kristina’s Brie Lorraine en Croute

Melissa’s Chicken & Goat Cheese Ball Recipe

Michaela’s tooty-fruity baked brie with apple brandy

Michelle’s herbed brie wheel

Lily’s sesame skewers

Read more...

Caprese Bruschetta – Bruschetta with Fig Balsamic with Garlic

Chopped Compari tomatoes
2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
½ Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tsp. Fig Balsamic (or Balsamic Vinegar)
Chopped Fresh Basil
½ French Baguette (sliced into rounds)
Sliced Ile de France brie cheese

Preheat the oven on broiler setting.

1. In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, 1/2 of the garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil. Refrigerate for a few hours.

2. Cut the baguette into 8 slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.
Spread minced garlic on each slice.

3. Place a slice of fresh mozzarella on each slice. Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.  Drizzle with fig balsamic or a balsamic reduction.

Sesame Appetizer Skewers
Makes 20 one-bite appetizers

Cooking Spray
1 can refrigerated crescent flaky dough sheet (not rolls)
4 tablespoons white sesame seeds
1/4 to 1/2 cup heaping cup crumbled Isle de France chevre
20 large fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon oil
1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained, rinsed, patted dry, cut into 1-inch pieces
10 (7 oz) fully cooked maple turkey sausages, thawed, cut crosswise in half
20 small sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil or 10 large, cut in half and drained
20 (5 to 6-inch long) wooden skewers

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly spray a cookie sheet, wipe with a paper towel to remove most of it, and
set aside.

Unroll crescent dough sheet on work surface and roll out to measure 10 X 10 inches.  Sprinkle sesame seeds
evenly on dough and press in to place with a rolling pin.  Turn dough sheet to put sesame seeds on the bottom
and sprinkle evenly with crumbled goat cheese and press in lightly with fingers.

Cut dough into 4 (5-inch) squares and then roll each square up, pinching the edges together to seal.  Repeat with
remaining squares.  Cut each roll into 5 slices (each about 1 inch) and place cut side down on cookie sheet.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer rolls to a wire rack and set aside.

Fold each leaf of basil to measure 1-inch and thread onto a skewer. Add a piece of roasted red pepper, a length
of sausage, a sun-dried tomato, and a sesame roll, threading it through the center of cut side. Repeat with the
remaining ingredients to make twenty skewers.

Reheat in a 250 degree oven for 2 or 3 minutes and serve on a tray, pastry side down with skewer sticking up for
easy handling.

What you will need:

1 Brie Wheel
1/2 cup basil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup parm or romano cheese
salt/pepper
2 cloves garlic
Bagel chips

Place brie wheel in foil and cover completely, heat oven to 350 and place on baking sheet.
Cook for 20 minutes,

In Blender you need to add basil, 1/4 tsp salt, olive oil, pine nuts, chopped garlic, and desired fresh gound pepper. Once brie is done place on platter and drizzle your basil mixture over top and place begal chips around plate.  Top with a handful of fresh pinenuts on top and BAM there you have it! Pretty and delicious!

INGREDIENTS:
1 (13.2 oz) wheel Il de France Brie cheese
1/2 cup chunky orange marmalade
1/4 cup dried blueberries
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon Calvados (Apple Brandy)
1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup fresh pomogranate seeds

slices of hearty (toasted) bread for serving

DIRECTIONS

With a sharp knife, slice off the thin top layer of rind from cheese and transfer th a baking dish.
In a small bowl, stir together the marmalade, blueberries, raisins, apple brandy, pomegranate molasses and black pepper.
Pour over the top of brie and sprinkle with pine nuts. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the nuts are golden brown and the cheese is very soft.
Transfer the baked wheel of cheese to a serving platter and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Serve with toasted bread.

Yield: 6 servings.

8 oz. Ile de France goat cheese
1 small can chicken
Few dashes seasoned salt
1/4 diced onion
1 small package chopped pecans

Mix all together. Form into ball and roll in chopped nuts. Serve with assorted crackers.

Ingredients
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
8 ounce round Ile de France Le Brie
1/2 cup (approx 8 slices) bacon, crumbled
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup chopped red onions
1 egg, beaten

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Defrost and roll out the pastry, dust lightly with flour on both sides. In a saucepan, fry bacon until crisp, reserving 1 tbsp drippings. Crumble. Saute onions on medium heat in reserved drippings until soft, approximately 10 minutes. Add the cayenne and stir. Place the bacon in the center of the rolled out puff pastry. Top with onion mixture, then top with brie. Gather the pastry, pressing firmly to seal. Brush entire pastry with beaten egg. Place brie on a cookie sheet, seal side down. Bake 20-25 minutes, until pastry is golden brown. Allow baked brie to cool 15-20 minutes before cutting.