Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com

Baked Brie With Honey, Toasted Pecans, and Bourbon-Soaked Figs

Hello, my friends! This week, we’ve got a fun recipe with photography by commercial food photographer Brie Passano (you can catch her work on the cover of the latest issue of Edible Capital District!). Brie was visiting the SF Bay Area from New York City, and we wanted to create something fun while she was here. Afterward, I showed her around SF and all my favorite dessert places, including Fraîche, an all organic yogurt place that now offers the magic chocolate shell!

Food photographer Brie Passano on misscheesemonger.com.
Brie at the Palace of Fine Arts in SF!

Anyway, it is always interesting to see your own world through someone else’s eyes. Brie was interested by some parts of our kitchen I don’t usually give thought to, like the recipes we’ve posted on our cabinets for easy access (for things like pancakes and chocolate cake . . . yeah, sweet ones), or the bunch of carrots hanging up over the sink. She worked methodically and quietly. I felt privileged to watch! From here on out in this article, all photos are taken by Brie, except for the ones of her taken by me!

Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
Welcome to my kitchen!
Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
Note: at one point, we had basil growing by the sink.
Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
This is our weekend sweet recipe collection.

When Brie told me she was coming to SF, she mentioned tasting a baked brie with whisky, and that we could do something like that. I did not have such a recipe on hand, so made it up. About 2 days before she was due to photograph, I halved about a dozen dried mission figs and covered them in Kentucky bourbon. By the time she knocked on my door, I was ready.

Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
I love Brie’s style!

Without further ado, Baked Brie With Honey, Toasted Pecans, and Bourbon-Soaked Figs

Baked Brie With Honey, Toasted Pecans, and Bourbon-Soaked Figs

Serves 4
Active time: 25 minutes
Inactive time: overnight

Ingredients:

1 dozen mission figs, halved
Bourbon
1 round of Camembert, or about an 8 oz wedge of Brie
2 sprigs of thyme (optional)
½ cup pecans or pecan halves
4 Tablespoons honey (I used French Blossom Honey from Corsica [affiliate link];I love its rich molasses quality)

Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
The ingredients!

The Process:

The night before (or earlier if you want to do really soak those figs well), cut all of the mission figs in half, put them in a small bowl or jar, and just cover them with the bourbon. Cover the bowl and set it aside until the next day.

The Next Day:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place a small frying pan on the stove and set the heat to medium.

Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
Scoring the cheese lets it soak in more of the sauce that’s coming!

Score the top of your cheese, and put it in the oven for 10 minutes. I have a camembert baking dish, but other baking dish options are: a ramekin, a makeshift “dish” of aluminum foil with the sides folded up, and the original wooden box.

Toasting my pecans.
Toasting my pecans.

While the cheese is baking, if you are using whole pecans, cut them into halves. Toast the pecans in the heated frying pan (no extra oil is needed), turning regularly, until lightly toasted and fragrant. This should take about 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn them.

Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
Add your honey!

Turn the heat down just a bit, and add the honey and one sprig of thyme (optional) to the nuts, stirring consistently. It will caramelize fairly quickly. You can add more honey if you’d like! Add the figs and the bourbon they have been soaking in, while constantly stirring.

Stirring, stirring, stirring. I wish I could transmit the smell!
Stirring, stirring, stirring. I wish I could transmit the smell!
Now, that's looking GOOD!!!
Now, that’s looking GOOD!!!

By this time, about 10 minutes have passed. Remove the cheese from the oven, pour your fig and nut mixture on top, and return everything to the oven for another 4-5 minutes.

Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
Adding the honey/nut/fig mixture to the cheese.
Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
Coming out of the oven!

When the time is up, serve your cheese immediately with some crusty bread! You can add a thyme sprig for garnish if you’d like.

Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
High five, Brie!

Brie and I thoroughly enjoyed tasting this simple and tasty entertaining dish, and M. Cheesemonger was content to eat the leftovers for the next few days!

Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
Yum, yum, yum.
Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
Get in my mouth, my cheesy friend.

THANK YOU, Brie, for your friendship, your photography, and your creativity! I had so much fun working with you on this, and hope you visit SF again soon!

If you’d like to follow more of Brie’s awesome food photography, find her on Instagram at @brieism, or visit her website.

See more of Brie’s work from this session below!

Thyme is my friend.
Thyme is my friend.
Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
The before.
Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
Welcome to my table!
Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
Who wants some bourbon with their cheese? *raises hand*
Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
Stunning. How beautiful, Brie.
Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
My blue plate collection! Did I ever tell you I love blue?
Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
Dessert. I have such a soft spot for clementines.
Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
Clementines in action.
Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
Still life #1.
Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
Still life #2.
Baked Brie with honey toasted pecans and bourbon-soaked figs. Photographed by Brie Passano for misscheesemonger.com
Working away in my kitchen!

The honey in this recipe was provided by my affiliate sponsor, the French Farm.

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