TO MAKE THE BRIE RING

Use a 2 1/4 inch biscuit cutter to punch a hole directly in the center of the brie, creating a ring. Place the brie ring in the refrigerator while you prep the dough. Save the center of the brie for another recipe (I turned mine into a puff pastry jingle bell).

TO PREP THE PUFF PASTRY DOUGH

Using thawed but still cold puff pastry dough, use a 10 inch bowl to trace a circle onto it and cut it out. Use a 1 3/4 inch biscuit cutter to cut a hole directly in the center, using your brie ring as a size guide. Refrigerate the dough until it’s firm and not sticky.
Use a protractor or ruler to mark even 1/2 inch intervals around the edge of the puff pastry circle. Stopping 1 inch before hitting the center hole of your dough, carefully cut along those marks toward the center. You should now have sun-like rays extending outward from a dough ring in the center.
Refrigerate the cut dough until it’s firm again, about 10-15 minutes.

TO ASSEMBLE THE WREATH

Place the brie ring around the center hole of the puff pastry. Working one strip at a time, gently pull each “sunray” over the brie at a slight angle, slightly overlapping the previous strip as you go until you've wrapped the entire ring. Try to avoid leaving gaps between layers.
Chill for another 30 minutes.

TO BAKE THE WREATH

Preheat oven to 425º.
Brush all visible parts of the puff pastry wreath with egg wash. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until puff pastry is golden and fully baked.
Pro-Tips. If the outer edges brown too quickly, tent them with foil exposing only the parts of the dough you want to brown more. If cheese pools in the center, use a slotted spatula to lift the brie, let the cheese drip down, careful not to burn yourself, wipe away melted cheese from the tray, and continue baking.

TO MAKE THE PUFF PASTRY BOW (WHILE YOUR BRIE IS BAKING)

Use a pizza wheel to cut three 1/2 inch wide, 10 inch long strips of puff pastry.
To make the loops, cut one strip to 8 inches and fold both ends inward to meet in the center, forming two loops. Tuck small folded foil pieces inside each loop to hold their shape.
To make the knot, cut a 1 inch piece from another strip and wrap it around the center seam of the loops, cinching tightly.
To make the tails, take the final strip, cut both ends at sharp angles, fold in half, and pinch the fold to create a realistic tail effect where it's tighter where it connects to the knot and loosens as it hangs.
Refrigerate the assembled bow for 20 minutes.
Brush all visible parts of the bow with egg wash, then sprinkle demerara sugar evenly over it, and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. If the bow tails begin to brown faster than the loops, tent them lightly with foil.
Let cool fully, then sprinkle with gold luster dust for a festive shimmer.

TO ASSEMBLE YOUR WREATH WITH ITS BOW

Let the wreath cool slightly. Use a sifter to lightly dust the top with confectioners sugar. Think delicate snowfall, not a blizzard this way you can see all of the folds you just beautifully made.
Place the cooled pastry bow at the top of the wreath.

CHRISTMAS BRIE WREATH WITH PUFF PASTRY BOW

BAKED BRIE WREATH … the season’s perfect hors d'oeuvre.