For me, the holidays are all about my front door opening and closing, opening and closing—an endless stream of warm hugs and warm smiles flowing into my house. As someone with a big Italian-American famiglia, my family gatherings are huge. So with tons of plates and tons of antipasti to prepare, my Christmas cooking traditions all center on simplicity. That’s why I love this Brie dish: it looks effortless because it actually is. For a quick recipe, the taste is surprisingly complex. Both flaky and gooey, crunchy and soft, it marries all of our favorite flavors and textures.

—Gabriela Riccardi, co-editor-in-chief of Baked Magazine. Follow Gabby on Twitter @_griccardi.

Ingredients:

• One medium wheel of Brie
• One sheet puff pastry
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• Parchment paper

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and begin thawing the puff pastry on parchment paper 20 to 30 minutes before use.
2. Toss nuts with butter on a heated skillet and sauté until golden brown, roughly 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Cut the wheel of Brie in half horizontally. Lay one half on the defrosted puff pastry and sprinkle on the brown sugar. Add the walnuts on top.
4. Cover with the second half of the Brie, then curve and fold pastry over the Brie. If desired, use leftover dough to create leaf-shaped cutouts. Lay on top. Transfer parchment paper to a cooking sheet.
5. Brush pastry with beaten egg, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.