Regardless of how much you've eaten on Christmas Day, everyone should always leave space for a bit of cheese after their dinner. While cheeseboards can be a good option to keep everyone happy, we don't think you can beat a gooey baked cheese to keep those warm and cosy feelings continuing well into the night. These are some of our favourite festive baked cheese recipes that are great for Christmas Day, festive parties or whenever you fancy a hit of pure indulgence.
Baked camembert is always a favourite during the winter, but in this recipe it's pierced with rosemary to give it plenty of added flavour and topped with sweet roasted red grapes. Meanwhile the pink peppercorn crackers are quick to prepare and are perfect for dipping into the cheese.
A great dish for putting in the middle of the table so that everyone can dive in, the time-consuming part of this recipe is making the nutty brioche wreath that surrounds the camembert but it's well worth the effort. Made from the ancient grain khorasan, guests can tear bits off to mop up every last bit of the melted cheese.
This brie, cranberry and red onion pithivier is actually a great main course option on Christmas Day for any cheese obsessives out there. When baked for the correct amount of time, the brie should ooze out of the pastry as soon as it's cut into, contrasting beautifully with the sweet red onions and cranberries.
A sweet and savoury cranberry and bacon jam is the star of this recipe and beautifully complements the rich camembert. For a touch of added freshness, slices of Granny Smith are suggested for dipping.
Camembert can stand up to a fair bit of heat which is why in this recipe it's paired with a spicy chilli honey. Crisp sesame breadsticks are served on the side for dunking and are surprisingly easy to make.
