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+ servings
Cranberry brie bites on a wooden board.
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5 from 2 votes

Cranberry Brie Bites

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time27 minutes
Servings: 15 puff pastry bites
Author: Aleksandra

Ingredients

  • cooking spray/vegetable oil
  • 1 sheet puff pastry (9 1/2 ounces or 270g)
  • 3/4 cup cranberry sauce 180g
  • 8 ounces brie cheese 225g
  • 3 tablespoons chopped pecans or walnuts
  • fresh thyme

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
  • Spray GENEROUSLY a regular-sized muffin tray with cooking/baking spray or grease it with vegetable oil.
  • Cut brie into 1 1/2 inch (4cm) wide and 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick slices.
  • Your puff pastry should be about 1/8-inch (3-4 mm) thick, if it's thicker and square roll it out on a piece of parchment paper into a 9x15 inches (23x38cm) rectangle.
  • Cut the puff pastry into 3-inch (7-8 cm) squares (3 rows, 5 columns).
  • Place each square in the center of each muffin cup.
  • Place a piece of brie in each pastry cup.
  • Spoon a small amount of cranberry sauce on top, about 1-2 teaspoons (don't add too much or the pastries will be too sweet).
  • Place the muffin pan in the oven and bake the pastries for 10-12 minutes or until they are puffed and nicely golden. The baking time may vary depending on the oven so keep an eye on them at the end of the baking time to make sure they don't get too dark.
  • While the pastries are baking, chop the walnuts into smaller pieces, toast them in a dry pan until lightly golden and fragrant. Transfer them immediately to a plate, they can burn quickly in a hot pan.
  • Take the pastries out of the oven, transfer them from the muffin tin to a cooling rack.
  • Sprinkle with chopped toasted nuts and thyme leaves.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

  • BAKING TIME/TEMPERATURE: When baking this appetizer in a dark muffin pan (like the one on the photo above) I've found that 12 minutes at 425°F (220°C) are perfect for this recipe but when baking it in a white muffin pan, they were too pale at the bottom so I baked them for 10 minutes at 425°F (220°C) and then a further 10 minutes at 320°F (160°C) (open the oven door for a couple of seconds to quickly reduce the temperature) to finish baking them. The color of a baking sheet/muffin pan really makes the difference. I like to bake puff pastry initially at a high temperature because it puffs better and then I finish it at a lower temperature to prevent burning.
  • Thaw your puff pastry in the fridge overnight. Make sure it's cold before you start. Take it out of the fridge only if you have all your ingredients ready.
  • Brie cheese should also be very well-chilled - it will be easier to cut into pieces. You don't need to cut off the rind, it's edible and you won't even notice it when the cheese is melted. Use regular brie cheese, not double cream brie cheese which is too runny.
  • Storage and freezing instructions can be found in the body of the post.
  • Calories = 1 puff pastry bite (1/15 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!

Nutrition

Calories: 177kcal