You can also mix this recipe up a bit with different fillings. I use whatever cheeses I have leftover and make a batch of these in a similar way – the perfect way to finish off your festive cheeseboard. Cheese and pastry are two of the great joys in life, I think we can all agree. This is a super simple way to bring them together! All you have to do is add your filling ingredients to a bed of (ready-made) puff pastry, pop them in the oven and you’ve got a perfectly formed Christmas Canapé. These are ideal for serving as a starter if you’re cooking for a crowd, or just while serving drinks, opening presents or with a glass of mulled wine. And if you’re catering to a number of tastes, there are plenty of easy filling options (see below).
Why you’ll love this Brie and Cranberry Bites recipe
⭐️ Ready in just 30 minutes ⭐️ Hardly any prep needed ⭐️ A great way to use leftover cheese If you can make time in the usual chaos that is the festive season to make a few of your own creations, I promise you’ll never look back. You can try my super easy Prawn Canapés or Smoked Salmon Canapés, or get a tiny bit more involved with my Sausage Rolls or Puff Pastry Mince Pies (still really easy). Oh – and not forgetting this fun (and delicious) Nutella Christmas Tree for breakfast! As well as the Brie and Cranberry classic combo for these canapés, you could also try:
Pecan nuts Crispy bacon bits – Fry them off before sprinkling on top Pine nuts Chorizo chunks – Fry until crispy before sprinkling on top A drizzle of honey after cooking Leftover cooked turkey chunks Chunks of leftover cooked stuffing Stilton and chutney instead Leftover pigs in blankets Leftover chunks of Christmas ham
Brie and Cranberry Bites ingredients
Olive oil – This is for greasing a 12 hole muffin tin Puff pastry sheet – I like ready rolled sheets Cranberry sauce – Either shop-bought or your own homemade Cranberry Sauce Brie – I leave the rind on as it helps to keep the shape of the cheese Egg – This is to brush on the pastry Sea salt Runny honey – Optional. To drizzle on at the end
For the brie, I go for whatever I fancy from the shops! While it’s a classically French cheese, I also like to experiment at Christmas and the British bries are lovely too. I would recommend making sure it’s got plenty of flavour so you can taste it when it’s melted. For the sauce, I like to make a homemade batch at Christmas. See my Cranberry Sauce recipe here, but shop bought from a jar also works just as well. In the freezer This recipe freezes well. Just wait until they are totally cold and then put into a freezer proof container and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready, remove them from the fridge and bake. Remove the pastry from the fridge about 10 minutes before you intend to use it for best results.
Serve these warm
These can be served cold but honestly you’re missing a trick if you don’t serve these while they’re still warm and oozing gooey brie – just the best. Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
