Description
These Cranberry Brie Bites with Puff Pastry are a delightful and elegant appetizer perfect for holiday gatherings. Featuring creamy Brie cheese, tart cranberry sauce, crunchy pecans, and flaky puff pastry, these bite-sized treats are easy to prepare and guaranteed to impress your guests with their balance of flavors and textures.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheese
- 1 8 ounce round Brie cheese
Puff Pastry
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (thawed in the refrigerator)
- Flour (for dusting work surface)
Fillings and Toppings
- 3/4 cup cranberry sauce
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
- Sprigs of rosemary for garnish
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Prepare Brie: Cut off and discard the rind from the Brie cheese to allow the cheese to melt evenly and blend with the toppings. Place the rindless Brie on a parchment-lined plate and chill it in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up, making it easier to cut into small pieces.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Set your oven to 375℉ (190℃) to preheat. Generously grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan using cooking spray to prevent the pastry from sticking. Set the pan aside.
- Roll and Cut Puff Pastry: Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll out the thawed puff pastry sheet into a 10×14-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle lengthwise into 4 even strips, then crosswise into 6 even strips creating 24 equal squares. Gently press each square into a muffin cup, ensuring it lines the bottom and sides well. Prick the bottom of each pastry square with a fork to avoid bubbling while baking.
- Cut Brie: Remove the chilled Brie from the freezer and cut it into 24 equal pieces, each roughly 3/4-inch in size, to fit perfectly inside each pastry cup.
- Assemble Bites: Into each pastry-lined muffin cup, spoon 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce as the base layer. Press a piece of Brie on top of the cranberry sauce, then add 1 teaspoon of finely chopped pecans as a crunchy topping. Sprinkle a little sea salt on each bite as desired to enhance the flavor.
- Bake: Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven and bake the cranberry Brie bites for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden brown and flaky.
- Cool and Serve: Let the bites cool slightly in the pan after baking. Then carefully remove them from the pan and garnish each with a small sprig of rosemary for a festive touch. Serve warm or at room temperature for the best taste experience.
Notes
- These baked cranberry Brie bites are a quick and easy appetizer that will impress guests at any holiday party.
- Removing the rind from the Brie helps it melt more thoroughly and blend better with the cranberry sauce and pecans.
- Freezing the Brie before cutting helps maintain clean, even pieces for assembly.
- Pricking the pastry with a fork prevents it from puffing up too much, keeping the bite-size shape intact.
- You can prepare these bites a little ahead of time by assembling them and refrigerating before baking.
- Substitute pecans with walnuts or almonds if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bite
- Calories: 117 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 85 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 9 mg
