Festive Olive & Cheese Skewers and Cranberry Brie Bites
These festive appetizers offer a perfect blend of savory and sweet, ideal for any gathering. Enjoy the simple elegance of olive and cheese skewers alongside warm, gooey cranberry brie bites wrapped in flaky puff pastry.
Equipment
- appetizer skewers or toothpicks
- serving platter
- pizza cutter or knife
- mini muffin tin
Ingredients
Festive Olive & Cheese Skewers
- green and black olives Pitted
- firm cheese such as cheddar, Monterey Jack, or semi-hard goat cheese
- fresh herbs rosemary sprigs or basil leaves
Cranberry Brie Bites
- 1 sheet Puff Pastry thawed
- 1 wedge Brie Cheese cut into 1-inch cubes
- a few spoonfuls Cranberry Sauce
- Optional Garnish chopped walnuts or pecans, or a tiny sprig of rosemary
Instructions
Festive Olive & Cheese Skewers
- Cut cheese into ½-inch to ¾-inch cubes, aiming for uniform pieces similar in size to your olives.
- Thread an olive, then a cheese cube, onto a skewer; repeat to create an alternating pattern.
- Tuck a small fresh rosemary sprig or basil leaf between an olive and cheese for garnish and aroma.
- Arrange completed skewers on a serving platter, either standing upright or laying down.
Cranberry Brie Bites
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C), lightly flour a surface, and roll out thawed puff pastry, then cut it into 12 equal squares.
- Gently press each puff pastry square into the cups of a mini muffin tin, optionally spraying with a light non-stick coating.
- Place one cube of Brie cheese in the center of each puff pastry cup and top with about ½ teaspoon of cranberry sauce.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until the puff pastry is golden brown and puffed, and the Brie is melty and bubbly.
- Carefully remove from the muffin tin, garnish with chopped nuts or a rosemary sprig if desired, and serve warm.
Notes
For the Cranberry Brie Bites, make sure to not overfill the puff pastry cups to prevent spillage during baking. You can prepare the olive and cheese skewers a few hours in advance and keep them refrigerated until serving. The Brie Bites are best served warm soon after baking.