About Brie

• Brie originated in Ile-de-France in the Brie region, hence adopting the name. True Brie is unpasteurized and is considered unsafe in the United States according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations, but there are many quality pasteurized versions if you don't want to take the risk. Brie is a cow's milk cheese and is made by a process that promotes the growth of mold by using good bacteria. When baked, Brie is often topped with items such as onion, garlic, jam and fruit. Some people even like to wrap the cheese and topping in puff pastry and bake it all together for a delightfully oozy yet crisp treat.

About Lingonberries

• A lingonberry is a shrub similar to blackberry or raspberry and grows in many areas of the world. Its oval-shaped berries are pinkish-red and can be picked and eaten straight off the bush. Lingonberry sauce is similar to cranberry sauce and works well on items such as pancakes or waffles, salads, or alongside meat dishes such as duck. The berries also are tasty whole in granola bars and mixed into butter and ice cream.

Baking Brie

• Brie is usually sold in wheels and should be baked whole; the cheese will get oozy when it is warm, and cut Brie will spread. Use either a pie plate or cookie sheet, so long as your dish is shallow and oven-friendly. Brie bakes fast -- 10 minutes at 350 degrees is usually sufficient. If you are baking the lingonberries with the Brie, spread the prepared lingonberry sauce over the top of the Brie and bake the same way.

Making Lingonberry Sauce

• If you have made cranberry sauce before, the process is the same. First wash and dry your lingonberries thoroughly. Add lingonberries to a pot of water and bring to a boil, then add roughly a cup of sugar and stir until it's dissolved. Remove from heat and place pot into a larger shallow pot of cool water and continue stirring berry mixture for a couple minutes. Top the Brie with the sauce when it comes out of the oven, or cool and keep sauce refrigerated until you are ready to bake both the Brie and lingonberry sauce together.