A Necessary addition
Although gatherings will be smaller this year, I’m still planning on celebrating the end of 2020 with these tiny, but delicious bites! This recipe doubles as an appetizer and a cranberry sauce dish by itself, which is perfect for a Thanksgiving appetizer or holiday party food. These bites are a layer of puff pastry, brie cheese, and cranberry sauce made with sparkling wine. The extra brut sparkling wine compliments the sweetness of the cranberries which makes a beautiful sauce! Let’s face it, after this year, there’s a reason our cranberry sauce needs a little wine in it.
The Wine
I used Lynfred Winery‘s Vin De City Sparkling Wine. This is an excellent Extra Brut Sparkling Wine that compliments the dish very well. The blend is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Grigio. With a 0.5% residual sugar, it can be paired with any fruit for cooking!
Sparkling Wine Cranberry Sauce
First you will have to make the cranberry sauce. If you haven’t made homemade cranberry sauce, it is actually ridiculously easy. For this sauce, we’re adding a sparkling extra brut wine. This is on the drier side which will compliment the cranberries very well. If you ever want to combine sparkling wine or champagne with fruit, you will have to make sure it is dry so the sweetness is not overbearing.
Like I said, this sauce recipe is easy! 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup sparkling wine, and 12 oz cranberries. You can add a extra flavor like splash of orange juice, or I’ve even seen adding fresh ginger, but I think the 3 ingredients work well together.
Cheese and Puff Pastry
Puff Pastry
I like to use puff pastry whenever I can. The thin, buttery layers are delightful when adding to the cheese and fruit. It’s basically a wine and food pairing all in one bite!
You can substitute using crescent roll dough, but it won’t be as fluffy.
Brie
Brie pairs with the cranberries very well! You can leave the rind on, but it tends to burn a bit in the oven. You will also have some extra cheese when using an 8 oz rind.
Success Tips
- Let bites cool completely before removing from pan. The flakey layers will crumble if they are too warm.
- I save a little bit of fresh cranberry sauce and put it on after taking it out of the oven to add a little more complex flavor.
- I garnished with rosemary, but feel free to omit.
- Orange peels would also be a good garnish.
Sparkling Wine Cranberry Brie Bites
Ingredients
Sparkling Wine Cranberry Sauce
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup extra brut sparkling wine or champagne
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
Cranberry Brie Bites
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
- 8 oz brie cheese rinds removed
- 1 1/2 cups cranberry sauce see above recipe
- fresh rosemary garnish
Instructions
Sparking Wine Cranberry Sauce
- Stir together sugar and sparkling wine in a medium saucepan until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil.
- Immediately, add cranberries and maintain a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until cranberries have popped. Pour mixture in bowl and cool completely. This makes a little over 2 cups. You will have leftovers.
Cranberry Brie Bites
- Grease a 24 cup mini muffin pan generously with oil. Preheat oven to 375°f.
- Roll out thawed pastry sheet to about 14''x10''. Cut sheet in 24 squares by cutting 6 rows from top to bottom, and 4 rows left to right. Insert each square into each muffin tin.
- Remove rind off of brie (optional). Scoop about 1/2 tbsp of brie into each section.
- Add 1/2-1 tbsp of cranberry sauce per cup. Bake 15-18 minutes or until pastry is a golden brown. Cool completely before removing. Garnish with extra cranberry sauce and fresh rosemary.