Apple Brie Bites

Posted on February 12, 2019 Updated on February 12, 2019

When I was asked by Martin’s to pull together a recipe to feature a new apple, the Crimson Crisp, I knew immediately which one I’d use. I had made this easy, yet eye-catching recipe for a potluck after our church’s Thanksgiving hike, using pears instead of apples. I knew the Crimson Crisp would be stunning with its bright red skin and the crisp, creamy tartness would contrast nicely with the Brie cheese and red pepper jelly. And lastly, but certainly not least; they would be perfect for a special Valentine’s appetizer!

Because the Crimson Crisp is more tart than the pears were, I decided to offset the tanginess with a drizzle of honey. You can add the honey before or after baking. I added it before, which created the sweet little scorchy bits you see. I rather liked that; I think it gives the bites character; but if you don’t, simply drizzle the honey on the pan after baking.

After baking them, I took them in to Martin’s for the final test to see if they passed muster, and they did! In fact, they passed muster repeatedly…and repeatedly. But the taste muster passed only after Sary Oung Phoulivang took all the photos she wanted. As you can see, she took some gorgeous shots!

If you have never worked with phyllo pastry, here’s your chance. It’s not difficult. The pastry is fragile, yes, but if you handle it carefully two sheets at a time, it’s not hard to do. The instructions say to apply one sheet at a time, but I’ve used two together and it works well. It’s very forgiving; just make sure you don’t have the tears repeatedly at the same place on the pan. Be sure to keep the unused pastry covered with a damp tea towel while working.

Prepare the Brie cheese and slice the apple. I sliced it with the slicer, then cut each slice into three or four thinner slices.

Cut cheese in half; remove the rounded corners off the brie.

Slice each half into 1/4″ thick slices

Cut into 8, then each wedge into 3

Prepare the pastry and layer the toppings.

Butter the layers of phyllo

Layer brie and apples over pastry

Drizzle with honey

Bake!

As usual, this post is sponsored by Martin’s Family Fruit Farm, but the words written are my own. 

The Crimson Crisp is a pretty new apple, great for baking and eating out of hand if you like a tart apple. Its firm, crunchy flesh is creamy in colour, and the skin is a brilliant red. It stores very well in the refrigerator. 

Apple Brie Bites

• Servings: 24
• Print

Ingredients

• 8 phyllo pastry sheets
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 large Crimson Crisp or other tart apple
• 1 6″ Brie cheese
• 2 – 3 Tablespoons honey
• red pepper or spiced apple jelly

Directions

Preheat oven to 375° F (190 C). Brush a thin coating of melted butter in the bottom of a 10″ by 15″ or 11″ by 17″ cookie sheet. Carefully unroll and separate two sheets of phyllo pastry from the package. Lay the two sheets in the pan, folding edges under to fit. Brush with another thin layer of butter. Repeat three more times until the 8 pastry sheets are used up. Cover the unused phyllo sheets with a damp tea towel until they’re done. Refrigerate or freeze the remaining sheets. Or make two pans right away!

Cut the Brie in half, then cut off the rounded edge on one side. Slice each half into twenty-four 1/4 inch thick slices. Wash, core and slice the apple into 8 wedges, then cut each wedge into at least 3 slices. Lay the Brie on top of the pastry in rows at least 2 inches apart. Lay the apple slices on top of the Brie. You should have three rows with eight slices in each row. Drizzle with honey if you want to bake it on the apples. Bake for 18 minutes until the pastry is browning. 

Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before cutting into 24 rectangles with a rotary pizza cutter. Dollop a 1/2 teaspoon of jelly on top of each slice.