Tonight my husband's family and I will be going to his maternal grandmother's house (the one we made cookies with yesterday) to have dinner and do our gift exchange.
I wanted to bring something to contribute to dinner that wasn't a sweet because there is always an over-abundance of dessert items. I had to come up with a plan and come up with it quickly! I decided to make cranberry cheese bites to take as an appetizer. I confess that I have never made this before so hopefully it turns out well but I would think the creamy richness of the Brie would pair perfectly with the spiced tartness of the cranberries.
Now readers, this was sort of a cheat because I basically just had to assemble them but who doesn't love an easy appetizer when they're in a time crunch?
Cranberry Cheese Bites
2 packages frozen puff pastry cups
1/4 pound Brie cheese
1/4 pound aged white cheddar cheese
1 cup cranberry sauce
Place a cube of Brie or cheddar in the center of each pastry cup and top with 1/2 t of cranberry sauce. Bake at 350 for 3-5 minutes.
The recipe I used called only for Brie cheese but I had an open block of aged cheddar on hand so I though why not use that too?!
The cranberry sauce was also homemade. My husband brought this cranberry sauce to Thanksgiving dinner this year and there was absolutely none left! It's tangy, sweet, citrus-y and has chunks of whole berries in it.
Cranberry Sauce
3 C cranberries ( one 12 oz bag)
1 C sugar
1 C water
1/2 t crushed cardamom pods (or you can cheat and use the pre-ground stuff)
3/4 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t ground allspice
Hear sugar and water. Stir until sugar dissolves and water comes to a boil. Add washed cranberries and spices to taste. Cook and stir occasionally until cranberries start to pop. Cool completely before storing in refrigerator. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Merry Christmas, readers. As always, live passionately, love fully and eat too much!
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