Rough Puff Pastry and Cranberry Brie Appetizers
Have you ever seen those dramatic rounds of brie cheese, topped with cranberry sauce or pepper jelly, wrapped in puff pastry, and baked. The gooey cheese is spooned out with crispy crackers or wedges of fruit like tart apples or sweet crunchy pears.
For a single person that's a LOT of cheese though, so I bought a small round of double creme brie and used my home made cranberry sauce to make appetizer-sized bites with the same ingredients. And, since I didn't have any puff pastry, I went on line and found a recipe for something called a "rough" puff pastry. I made a few changes.
I didn't want to cut open a lemon or lime for the half a teaspoon of juice the recipe called for ... and, it was optional. So I left it out. Salted butter, bought by mistake, replaced the sweet butter and salt called for.
Half of the puff pastry was rolled out, cut into 2 1/2 inch squares, and used to line mini muffin tins. The rest was wrapped and frozen away for another day.
Playing with Rough Puff Pastry
NOTE: I had enough puff pastry from half the batch to make a dozen appetizers, but I decided to play with the rest of the dough and made some mini puff pastry 'croissants' and a single pastry horn from a strip of pastry wrapped around a cannoli tube. I should have put some jam or a chunk of chocolate into the croissant before rolling.
Cranberry Brie Bites
Cranberry Brie Bites - makes 8 appetizers
~ 250 gm puff pastry
small round of double creme Brie cheese
cranberry sauce (purchased or homemade)
Preheat oven to 400 deg F.
Roll out the puff pastry about 1/8-1/4 inch thick and cut into 2 1/2 inch squares. Line a tray of mini muffins with the pastry squares, pressing the pastry gently down into the tins.
Cube the cheese into 1/2 inch cubes. (NOTE TO SELF: Cut the chunks of cheese bigger next time. And trim off the rind for presentation.)
Place a small dollop (1/2 tsp) of cranberry sauce in the center of each puff pastry square. Top with a cube of the brie.
Bake about 18-20 minutes or until puff pastry corners are toasted lightly brown.
Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
For a single person that's a LOT of cheese though, so I bought a small round of double creme brie and used my home made cranberry sauce to make appetizer-sized bites with the same ingredients. And, since I didn't have any puff pastry, I went on line and found a recipe for something called a "rough" puff pastry. I made a few changes.
I didn't want to cut open a lemon or lime for the half a teaspoon of juice the recipe called for ... and, it was optional. So I left it out. Salted butter, bought by mistake, replaced the sweet butter and salt called for.
Half of the puff pastry was rolled out, cut into 2 1/2 inch squares, and used to line mini muffin tins. The rest was wrapped and frozen away for another day.
Playing with Rough Puff Pastry
NOTE: I had enough puff pastry from half the batch to make a dozen appetizers, but I decided to play with the rest of the dough and made some mini puff pastry 'croissants' and a single pastry horn from a strip of pastry wrapped around a cannoli tube. I should have put some jam or a chunk of chocolate into the croissant before rolling.
Cranberry Brie Bites
Cranberry Brie Bites - makes 8 appetizers
~ 250 gm puff pastry
small round of double creme Brie cheese
cranberry sauce (purchased or homemade)
Preheat oven to 400 deg F.
Roll out the puff pastry about 1/8-1/4 inch thick and cut into 2 1/2 inch squares. Line a tray of mini muffins with the pastry squares, pressing the pastry gently down into the tins.
Cube the cheese into 1/2 inch cubes. (NOTE TO SELF: Cut the chunks of cheese bigger next time. And trim off the rind for presentation.)
Place a small dollop (1/2 tsp) of cranberry sauce in the center of each puff pastry square. Top with a cube of the brie.
Bake about 18-20 minutes or until puff pastry corners are toasted lightly brown.
Let cool 5 minutes before serving.