MUSHROOM STUFFED BRIE EN CROUTE

Steps:

• In a 9- to 10-inch heavy skillet, cook onion in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until softened.
• Add mushrooms, sherry, nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste, and saute over moderately high heat, stirring, until the liquid that the mushrooms give off is evaporated.
• Cool mushroom mixture.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out 1 sheet of pastry into a 13-inch square and, using Brie as a guide, cut out 1 round the size of the Brie.
• Cut out a mushroom shape from scraps for decoration, or use any cookie cutter shape.
• Horizontally halve Brie.
• Roll out remaining sheet of pastry into a 13-inch square and transfer to a shallow baking pan.
• Center the bottom half of Brie, cut side up, on pastry square and spread mushroom mixture on top.
• Cover mushroom mixture with remaining half of Brie, cut side down.
• Without stretching pastry, wrap it snugly up over Brie and trim excess to leave a 1-inch border of pastry on top of Brie.
• In a small bowl, lightly beat egg and brush onto border.
• Top Brie with pastry round, pressing edges of dough together gently but firmly to seal.
• Brush the top of pastry with some egg and arrange pastry mushroom on it.
• Lightly brush mushroom with some egg, being careful not to let egg drip over edge of mushroom (which would prevent it from rising).
• With back of a sharp small knife, gently score side of pastry with vertical marks, being careful not to cut through dough.
• Chill Brie, uncovered, 30 minutes.
• Brie may be made up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, loosely covered.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Bake Brie in middle of oven until pastry is puffed and golden, about 20 minutes.
• Let Brie stand in pan on a rack 15 minutes and transfer with a spatula to a serving plate.
• Serve Brie with French baguettes or crackers.