I like to start the week with a sweet recipe. I hope, this way, it's on your mind and by the weekend you're just itching to make it.

I made this New Year's Day. The plan had been to make it New Year's Eve, but our little one prevented that from happening. Although it may not have kicked off the healthy choices of the year, it certainly helped us grin and bear Clark having to leave for work again.

Brie is one of my absolute favorite things. Whether it's cooked in a puff pastry, served with just fruit, or made with a sort of sauce-- I love it. It's why I only give in once or twice a year. This was actually my first time preparing by my lonesome. Normally I get to enjoy it at my parents' or in-law's house, but this year I was determined to make it myself.

Ingredients:

- 1 8 oz round brie cheese (leave the rind on)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp some kind of alcohol (we actually used champagne and it worked deliciously!)
- 1/2 C dried fruit (I used the one pictured below and raisins, so it should be chopped)

Directions:

- Heat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place your cheese on it. Bake for around 10 minutes, enough time to soften the cheese.
- Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan mix together your syrup, sugar, and alcohol. Cook until it begins to thicken into a syrup of its own.
- Chop up your fruit if it isn't in smaller pieces already.
- Move your cheese to whatever dish you wish to serve it in. Put the fruit on top of your softened/warm cheese (with rind) and pour your sauce over it. Serve immediately with bread, crackers, or even apple slices!



Adapted from Betty Crocker.