Baked Brie and a New Year's Eve Menu

After working at a catering company for more than 10 years, I swore I would never serve a baked brie for a dinner party...but tomorrow being New Year's Eve...and not really having a menu pulled together I heard myself saying "how about a baked Brie?" for an appetizer. Although you can buy them premade they really are much better made yourself. all you need is puff pastry, egg wash,something pretty to put on top of the brie i.e. caramelized nuts or apples or pears or even my favorite a cranberry-pear chutney. Top the brie with something encase it in puff pastry, use a paring knife or small cookie cutters to cut out a decoration on the top; showcasing your nuts,pears, apples or chutney, brush with egg yolk beaten with a tiny bit of cream and bake in a HOT oven until puff is brown and cheese is oozy. Let cool slightly and serve with baguette and grapes... I never met a guest who didn't like the soft cheese with the rich puff pastry. You can also get really artistic with the top of the brie making tiny apples of puff pastry with whole cloves for stems or tiny bunches of puff pastry grapes. Stay tuned for the New Year's Eve menu.