Easy Brie Bites with Strawberry Spread

These baked brie bites with delectable Intense strawberry spread from Bonne Maman are incredibly easy and quickly made. It’s a delicious cheese appetizer for upcoming holidays or any special occasion.

“This post is part of the Bonne Maman sponsored program. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post reflects my personal opinion about the information provided by the sponsors.“

What are Brie Bites

Brie bites are small appetizers made with crispy buttery dough, pieces of brie cheese and topped with fruit spread. I love using Bonne Maman spreads, such as Intense Strawberry spread for this recipe. Bonne Maman Intense spreads are 100% natural, without preservatives or any additives.

Which fruit spread to use for brie bites

Bonne Maman Intense spreads contain high fruit content (50% minimum) and less sugar – 38% less sugar than regular preserves. Bonne Maman uses traditional French recipes which preserve the integrity of the fruits used (vitamins, minerals and fibres). There are only 4 ingredients in the composition of Intense jams & are all natural:

• Selected fruits
• Sugar
• Fruit pectin
• Lemon juice

For me these spreads simply taste like my grandma’s homemade jams. And every spoon brings a smile on my face as I think of my childhood memories!

Our family has been using Bonne Maman spreads for years and it has always been our favourite brand of jams. When we open a jar, it’s like summer has come back to us again!

What dough you can use to make brie appetizers

• Puff pastry ( highly recommended)
• Phyllo (Filo) dough
• rolled crescent dough

My favourite is puff pastry. It’s so flaky and crispy at the same time, when you take it out of the oven. I bet, that this will be your favourite too. It’s super easy to roll out and even easier to cut. No fuss, no mess! I highly recommend using puff pastry for this recipe. It works the best for me!

Because Phyllo (Filo) dough is made only out of flour and water, almost no fat is used in the dough. Thus, why the dough can dry out very quickly. And if you won’t brush each sheet with butter before baking, you will end up with dry, hard brie bites. It just doesn’t have that same rich and flaky quality as puff pastry does. But can definitely be used for this brie appetizers. Just remember, if you use it, additional butter for brushing each layer is necessary to achieve crispy yet slightly soft shells.

Rolled crescent dough might be one of the quick options to be used in this recipe. But you won’t end up with the same “wow” preventative look and flaky buttery appetizers to entertain your special guests. Crescent dough is more flat, the dough is sweeter and it won’t puff as traditional puff pastry dough.

What brie cheese to use for these brie cheese appetizer

Brie cheese quality

Brie cheese is a soft & creamy cow-milk cheese. It has very light pale colour and has a whitish rind. The rind is edible and it’s a very delicious and creamy cheese. Brie cheese has fruity, earthy, nutty, grassy, and mushroom-like taste.

I would stay away from double or triple creamy brie cheese, because these contain more fat. And more fat means, the brie cheese will melt (disappear) into the puff pastry. You are going to still have a cheesy taste in puff pastry, but you won’t have that bite of brie inside. I would recommend regular brie cheese like classic brands like President.

How to cut the brie cheese

The Best way to cut the brie is on slices about 1/4 inch and then to cut them on cubes 1 inch long. This way, the cheese will sit well in puff pastry and it won’t escape from the puff pastry.

How to make Brie Bites

Preheat oven. Always very important to have the oven preheated to 375 F/ 190 C. Oven rack in middle position. And we are using a mini muffin tin to prepare these delicious brie puff pastry bites. Which holds up to 24 brie bites.

Cut puff pastry sheets. Depending on what brand of puff pastry sheets you will use, it will make more or less appetizers. Usual store bought puff pastry is sold as 2 pre-rolled sheets of 1.1 lb (450 g), which will give 24 pieces. (I was using commercial grade puff pastry and one sheet gave me 20 pieces.) Cut the puff pastry sheets into 3×3 inch squares. Use pizza cutter to cut them. Set aside.

Cut brie cheese. Cut the brie cheese on slices thick 1/4 inch and cube them 1 inch large. Place them on top of the puff pastry.

Mini muffin tin. Butter each mini muffin tin, so the puff pastry won’ stick. Place puff pastry dough with brie inside the muffin tin. And use your fingers to arrange them well inside. I used a small melon baller to push the dough with brie cheese inside each mini tin.

Bake. Before placing the muffin tin with brie puff pastry bites in the oven, brush the edges of puff pastry with egg wash. Bake in preheated oven 375 F/ 190 C, for 10-15 minutes or until they will turn slightly brown on the edges.

Cool. Cool the baked brie bites for 5 minutes and top them with Intense Strawberry spread from Bonne Maman. Garnish with chopped pistachios just before serving. These brie bites can be served warm or cold.

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TIPS & QUESTIONS ON MAKING THE BEST BAKED BRIE BITES

Do you take the rind off the brie before baking?

No need to cut off the rind of the cheese. It’s a part of the cheese and it’s equally delicious as the creamy cheese inside. Besides the rind will melt slightly into the puff pastry, so it will soften even more.

Can I make these brie appetizers in advance?

Yes you can! Bake the puff pastry in advance with brie cheese. Store them in airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. And before serving, reheat them for 5 minutes in the oven, then top them with Strawberry spread and garnish with pistachios.

You may also prepare the filled puff pastry dough with brie cheese in the muffin tin the night before the event. Cover the muffin tin with plastic food foil and leave it in the refrigerator for up to maximum of 24 hours. I do not recommend storing unbaked puff pastry in the fridge for longer than 24 hours. The dough tense to become saggy.

What spread goes best with Brie cheese?

We love using Bonne Maman spreads when it comes to pairing with cheeses. Bonne Maman has plenty of fruit spread choices in the Intense collection. Such as Strawberry, Apricot, Blueberry, Cherry, Orange and Raspberry flavors.

Bonne Maman has something special for you in this upcoming festive season

Do you love Advent Calendars? I do, and so much! You too? I know, we all loved them when we were little children. And now Bonne Maman has a special Advent Calendar even for us, grown-ups! Yay, now you don’t need to feel embarrassed opening you kids chocolate advent calendar. You are going to have your own! Isn’t it exciting!?

This Bonne Maman 2020 Advent Calendar offers 24 Limited-Edition Mini Fruit Spreads and Honey. Each jar has 1 oz. (23 ml) of deliciously flavoured spread. Such as Apricot with Lavender, Pineapple and Passion Fruit, Cherry with Christmas spice and more!

You can buy Bonne Maman 2020 Advent Calendar Limited Edition with exclusive Holiday flavors at Costco (ON/QC), IGA (QC), Metro (QC) & lemust.ca Enjoy this joyful Advent Calendar with mini spreads from Bonne Maman or offer it as a great edible gift!

Do you love these cheese appetizers? Here are more recipes for you!

• ROASTED BEETS WITH GOAT CHEESE
• CAPRESE APPETIZER
• THE BEST GUACAMOLE EVER
• CREAMY MINI CHEESE BALLS
• WARM CROSTINI WITH FIGS & GOAT CHEESE

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