Have you been on this boat before – rushing to throw a last-minute party and scrambling for suitable food to serve?

While there is never a shortage of store-bought food, there is an even better option especially for cheese lovers – baked Brie. This soft French cheese known for its earthy flavor is a staple at most buffet tables.

Patch discovered the bake-at-home puff pastry wrapped appetizer last Saturday at the Calabasas Farmers Market.

Perfect for parties

“It’s the perfect solution to every party host’s dilemma,” said Linda Olander, one of the owners of Elegant Brie.

“They bake it at home so it’s fresh every time, but they don’t need to do all the work,” she added.

Based in Pleasanton, Elegant Brie the brainchild of Olander and her sister, Leslie Bowers.

Laid off from her job, Bowers seized the opportunity to launch a new business and team up with her sister. Years of experience in the corporate world coupled with top-notch entertaining skills produced Elegant Brie, which made its debut at the San Ramon Farmers Market last year.

An array of Brie

Just before the Super Bowl, the sisters came up with new flavors. “There’s just a higher demand for appetizers then so the timing is good for introducing anything new,” said Olander.

Currently, there are four flavors of the unbaked and frozen dish. The garlic, basil and pine nuts variety along with the apricot and toasted almond are top-sellers. Other flavors include artichoke, jalapeno, garlic and mushroom, and scallion and garlic.

Each Brie is hand-decorated with imaginative designs or holiday themes. There’s the wine bottle, which is Elegant Brie’s signature design. There are leaves, hearts and wedding motifs. With Memorial Day and the Fourth of July coming up, there are some that are decorated with US flags. “We can also customize the pastry cut-outs,” Olander said.

The rich and melt-in-your-mouth hors-d’oeuvre comes in two sizes and price points. The smaller one, priced at $15 is good for two to four people while the larger one for $30 can feed up to a maximum of 12 people.

Preparation and serving is a breeze. Olander recommends defrosting the Brie first. Then pre-heat your conventional oven to 400 degrees and bake the Brie for 30 minutes. The baking time may be faster in convection ovens.

“It can be grilled too,” she added. “And indirect heat will also work.”

Bring your Brie home

Olander described their promotional strategy: “The farmers market is a great venue for new and small businesses like ours so we can get the word out,” she said.

To find this “creamy goodness” outside Calabasas, Elegant Brie is also available at the Brentwood Farmers Market on Sundays as well as farmers markets in Northern California where Bowers is based. Orders can also be placed online.

The Calabasas Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday at 23504 Calabasas Road, across the street from the Sagebrush Cantina.