Name: Brie & Fig Puff Pastry Bites
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 24 Bites
Ingredients: For the Bites; 2 sheets of frozen puff pastry, thawed overnight in the refrigerator; 6 ounces of Brie cheese; 1 cup fig jam (or another flavor you like—see notes above); ⅔ cup coarsely chopped pecans; 24 small sprigs of fresh rosemary about 1 inch in size

Appetizers

Brie & Fig Puff Pastry Bites

Author: Mary DiSomma

This deceptively fancy little hors d'oeuvre is the perfect make-ahead appetizer. Brie and fruit (especially baked) is a delicious, classic combination. I use pre-made puff pastry along with just 3 more ingredients: Brie cheese, a good quality fig jam, and coarsely chopped pecans. That’s it. Simple, beautiful, and, of course, delicious! It's a win-win for me because Brie happens to be one of my favorite cheeses. It's super delicious and saves tons of time. I serve the finished product with a rosemary garnish for a little something extra—because why shouldn't we add more festivity wherever we can?!

Brie & Fig Puff Pastry Bites

These cute little treats are a snap to make, beautiful, and, of course, delicious. Store-bought puff pastry is a godsend here. Once you’ve tasted these, try substituting raspberry or cherry jam for the fig jam… or any of your favorite flavors! Getting creative in the kitchen is one of the best parts of cooking.

Yield: 24 Bites
Prep Time: 30 minutes 30 min
Cook Time: 30 minutes 30 min
Total Time: 1 hour 1 hr

Ingredients

For the Bites

2 sheets of frozen puff pastry, thawed overnight in the refrigerator
6 ounces of Brie cheese
1 cup fig jam (or another flavor you like—see notes above)
⅔ cup coarsely chopped pecans

For the Garnish

24 small sprigs of fresh rosemary about 1 inch in size

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray the inside of 24 miniature muffin wells with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Using a small knife, lightly scrape the rind off of the brie. It’s okay if it’s not perfect! Next, cut the Brie into 24 cubes and set aside.
Place the puff pastry sheet on your work surface. If there are creases in the pastry because it was folded, roll it lightly with a rolling pin.
Cut the pastry into 24 squares, about 1½ inches in size. I like to test the size after cutting one square to make sure it fits properly in my muffin tin. Here’s how: Lay the square over a muffin well, then carefully press it in, making sure the side of the well is completely covered. I use my tamper tool to do this, but you can use your fingers as well. Adjust as necessary—or, if the size is right, go ahead and cut all the squares.
Once all of the wells are lined, place a brie cube in each pastry shell. Top each cheese cube with about a teaspoon of jam, then sprinkle with chopped pecans.
At this point, I like to pop the muffin tins in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This quick chill will firm up the pastry so it shrinks less during baking. Remember that puff pastry has a lot of butter in it, and letting the butter harden up before baking will achieve the most satisfying texture.
Bake the brie and fig bites in the preheated oven for about 17 to 19 minutes. The puff pastry should be golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before removing the bites from the pan. I use a teaspoon to carefully lift them out. Garnish each bite with a small sprig of fresh rosemary.
You can serve these delicious treats right away or let them cool completely and store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 2 days. Just reheat them in a 350 degrees oven for about 3 minutes before serving! For freezer instructions, check out the last heading in the blog post above!

View Mary's Tips

Ingredient Tips

They’re often confused, but phyllo and puff pastry are very different. Phyllo dough is paper-thin sheets of unleavened dough that bake up crisp and light. It’s made with oil, not butter. Puff pastry, on the other hand, is laminated dough that puffs into airy, buttery layers thanks to steam and layers of fat. For baklava, phyllo is essential—puff pastry would be too heavy and way too soft.

Preparation + Preservation Tips

Try substituting raspberry or cherry jam for the fig jam. In fact, experiment with all of your favorite flavors—just make sure you’re choosing high-quality jams that are made with real fruit. And don’t be afraid to get creative! If you can’t decide what sounds most delicious, make a platter with several different flavors. Yum!

Freezing pre-made Brie and fig bites for later use is easy. Just place the cooled, baked bites in a single layer on a baking sheet and pop them in the freezer for 1 hour. After an hour, transfer the frozen bites into freezer bags. They will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months! When you’re ready to use them, pull out as many bites as you like and let them sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Just before serving, pop them into a fully preheated 350 degree oven for 4 to 5 minutes.