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Baked brie is a holiday “must-have” and how you choose to top it can vary from sweet and salty to spicy. This version, baked brie with cinnamon pears, is taking advantage of great artisanal products. The butter flavored olive oil is a game changer. As if olive oil isn’t great enough, now there is a butter flavored version that is off the charts delicious. Partnered with balsamic vinegar flavored with cinnamon and pears, this baked brie is unlike any I’ve made before.

I amped up the pear and cinnamon flavors by using fresh pears and ground cinnamon in the topping. I added a little crunch with the slivered almonds and some freshness with the thyme. A couple of tips for upping the flavor on this dish:

. Cut your pears into a decent size dice so that they aren’t too small and fall apart when cooking on the stove.

. Brush the saute pan with the butter olive oil then add your pears and balsamic vinegar. Fabulous. You need that pinch of salt to cut the fat and sweetness.

. Cook your pears slowly until they get soft and the vinegar gets syrupy creating the perfect topping for the brie. At the end, you’ll add your nuts and stir into the mix.

. Cutting the diamonds into the top of the brie will speed up the bake time so watch it carefully. Don’t worry if the edges start to sag or spread out. That is still all ooey-gooey goodness.

. I like almonds in this put pecans, cashews and hazelnut would work well too.

. While you don’t need to brush the bread with the butter olive oil, it really adds a richness you aren’t expecting so try it. I like to carry the flavor to every part of this dish.