Appetizers

Cranberry Brie Bites

Name: Cranberry Brie Bites
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 24 bites
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Nonstick cooking spray; 1 (8 ounce) wedge Brie cheese; All-purpose flour, for dusting; 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed; 1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce; 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans; Flaky sea salt (optional); Small sprigs of fresh rosemary, for garnish

Flaky pastry cups cradle melting Brie, a spoonful of cranberry sauce and a sprinkle of pecans, so each bite tastes like Christmas. They look fancy on a tray but take only a handful of ingredients.

Makes: 24 bites
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min
Ready in: 45 min

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Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
1 (8 ounce) wedge Brie cheese
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
Flaky sea salt (optional)
Small sprigs of fresh rosemary, for garnish

Steps

Freeze the Brie for 15 minutes so it is firm enough to cube neatly. Heat the oven to 375°F and spray a 24-cup mini muffin pan (or two 12-cup pans) generously with nonstick spray.
Dust the counter with flour and roll the pastry into a 10-by-15-inch rectangle. Cut it into 2 1/2-inch squares; you should have 24.
Press a square into each muffin cup, letting the corners stand up above the rim. Prick each bottom twice with a fork.
Cut the cold Brie, rind and all, into 24 small cubes and drop one into each cup. Spoon 1 teaspoon cranberry sauce over each cube, then add a few pecans and a pinch of flaky salt, if using.
Bake on the center rack, with a sheet pan on the rack below to catch drips, for 18 to 20 minutes. They are done when the pastry has risen and is deep golden brown with no pale spots.
Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then lift the bites out with a small knife. Tuck a rosemary sprig into each; they are lovely warm or at room temperature but should not sit out more than 2 hours.

Good to know

Thaw the pastry in the fridge overnight, or on the counter for about 40 minutes, until it unfolds without cracking.
Make ahead: Fill the pan, cover it and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Bake straight from the fridge, adding 2 to 3 minutes.
Baked bites keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Warm them straight from frozen at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
Pepper jelly or fig jam can take the place of the cranberry sauce. A tube of crescent roll dough also works in place of the puff pastry: press the seams together before cutting 24 squares, then bake just 7 to 10 minutes, until golden.