Brown Butter Nut Mix with Rosemary and Thyme

Ingredients

  • 10 cups mixed nuts such as pecans, cashews, whole skin-on almonds, Marcona almonds, and peanuts

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 3 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar

  • 2 ½ teaspoons coarse salt

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only

  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves only

Description

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast pecans on a baking sheet until darkened slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Grind in a food processor.

  2. Increase heat to 400 degrees. Unfold pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle pecans evenly over half of pastry; fold over other half and pinch edges to seal. Cut pastry in half crosswise; pinch cut edges to seal. Roll out one half to an 8-inch square.

  3. Brush 1 tablespoon Dijon on one side of Brie. Place in center of rolled-out pastry, mustard-side down. Brush remaining 1 tablespoon Dijon on top of Brie. Roll out remaining half of pastry to a 9-inch square. Center over Brie and gently press around it to remove any air pockets. Trim pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch border around Brie. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather dough scraps and reroll to 1/8 inch thick. Using cookie cutters or a paring knife, cut out leaf shapes and score cutouts to create veins. Transfer cutouts to sheet with Brie. Freeze until pastry is firm, about 20 minutes.

  4. Brush top and sides of pastry with egg. Adhere cutouts to top of pastry in a decorative pattern, and brush cutouts with egg. Bake 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking until pastry is puffed and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes more (if it's browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil). Serve hot, with Boozy Fruit, apple wedges, and baguette slices.