Nearly all whipped Brie recipes I’ve seen serve the cheese with a generous drizzle of honey and other seasonings. But when I first saw the whipped Brie video, I wondered if it would taste good with my homemade chili oil on top. My goodness, it is so delicious! The chili oil adds a layer of smoky, garlicky, and spicy flavor to the Brie and honey. I genuinely had to stop myself from eating too much at once!
HOW TO MAKE WHIPPED BRIE
DOUBLE VS TRIPLE CREAM BRIE
Traditionally, Brie is made with double cream, so the cheese has a minimum of 60% butterfat content. As you can imagine, triple cream Brie has even more butterfat–a minimum of 75%. I’ve tried this recipe with double and triple cream Brie cheeses and I think either will be fine for whipping. However, the triple cream Brie gives a softer and silkier finish. Feel free to experiment with either type of Brie.
CHEESE WHEEL OR WEDGE?
Before you blend the Brie in the food processor, you need to slice off the rind to ensure that the whipped Brie is nice and creamy. I’ve found that large wedges of Brie are easier to work with. Simply lay the wedge on its side and slice off the rind. Wheels of Brie cheese, on the other hand, generally have a lot more rind around the surface area. Therefore, it’ll take more time and will be a messier experience.
HOW MUCH CHEESE TO USE
If you are serving 6 to 8 people, 16 to 18 ounces of Brie (weighed with rind intact) should be plenty. You can also use as little as 8 to 10 ounces of Brie if you’re serving fewer people. However, you’ll need to have a smaller food processor (no larger than a 7-cup processor) in order for the blades to blend the cheese properly.
SLICING OFF THE RIND
Make sure the Brie is cold when you slice off the rind. The cheese softens as it reaches room temperature, making it more difficult to cut cleanly. Because I don’t like being wasteful, I initially tried slicing off the rind very close to the edge to avoid cutting off too much cheese. In reality, I created more mess than it was worth (see photo above). That’s why I suggest cutting a little deeper into the cheese so that it’s easy to slice off the rind in one piece. Then, use a spoon to scrape off cheese from the inside of the rind. Cut the cheese into cubes and place them on a plate for about 45 minutes to let it reach room temperature.
COMMON METHODS OF PREPARING WHIPPED BRIE
As I researched whipped Brie recipes, I’ve found that the two most common methods of preparing whipped Brie are to use a mixer or food processor. With the stand mixer method, you need to whip a larger quantity of Brie at once for about 10 minutes for the cheese to reach its ideal creamy texture. I’ve also seen someone use a hand mixer instead, which works but requires much more muscle, particularly when the Brie is still firm. The beauty of the food processor method is that you can whip the Brie much faster. It took me less than 90 seconds to whip 16 ounces of Brie. Furthermore, you can whip as little as 8 ounces of Brie at a time, provided that your food processor isn’t too large. I used my 7-cup food processor to whip 8 ounces of Brie with great results. If you have a larger food processor, you’ll need to double the amount of Brie so the blades can actually blend the cheese properly.
WHIPPING BRIE
Add all the Brie to the bowl of your food processor. Blend the cheese for about 15 to 20 seconds. The cheese will gather into a large clump initially but it will spread out. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and then blend the cheese again for another 15 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl again and blend for another 10 to 15 seconds, until the Brie is like the consistency of soft whipped butter. If it still doesn’t look like whipped butter yet, scrape the sides of the bowl and blend again for another 10 seconds. This entire process shouldn’t take more than a minute to a minute and a half.
MAKING CHILI OIL
Before or right after you prepare the Brie, make the chili oil so that the oil has time to infuse with the spices. This is the same chili oil I use for my Chinese smashed cucumber salad; I merely bumped up the amount of garlic and reduced the amount of salt slightly.
FINISHING WHIPPED BRIE
Once you’ve whipped the Brie, transfer it to a bowl. Smooth it out with the back of a spoon. Then, drizzle honey over the Brie. I like to use about 1 1/2 tablespoons of honey but feel free to add more or less. Then, scoop out some of the solids from the chili oil and drizzle that on top. It’s fine if you scoop up the oil too but try to focus more on the solids. Sprinkle with sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately. Serve with crackers or toasted slices of baguette!
CAN I MAKE THE WHIPPED BRIE AHEAD?
It depends. The texture of the Brie is best right after it is whipped and for the next few hours. If you are planning to bring this dip for a gathering at someone else’s house, cut up the Brie into cubes and leave at room temperature. When you get to your destination, whip the Brie there. If you are going to an outdoor location, whip the Brie right before you leave. Store the Brie in a container and keep it separate from the other toppings. When you are ready to serve, simply spread the Brie over a plate or bowl and then add the toppings.
WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER CHILI OIL
You’ll have a lot of chili oil leftover but there are many ways you can enjoy it. I like mixing a few tablespoons of the oil into my soy and vinegar dumpling sauce. You can also use it for stir fries or toss it with noodles. Here are also a few recipes that work work well with the chili oil:
Chinese Smashed Cucumber SaladSpicy Peanut Noodles (substitute the doubanjiang with chili oil)Spicy Roasted Edamame
