With creamy brie, tart cranberries and a crunchy phyllo shell, our Cranberry Brie Bites are the perfect addition to your next holiday party!
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This post is brought to you in partnership with Cuisinart.
Luckily, I recently tried the Cuisinart® Air Fry Toaster Oven, which allows me to cook my ambitious menus without having to go as far as renovating my kitchen. Not only can I air fry appetizers, but I’m fully equipped to handle numerous side dishes alongside my daily meals.
Why Air Fry?
I’ve always had my doubts as to whether an air fryer is worth the investment, but after just one use, I appreciate that it makes my kitchen routine healthier and less hectic. Air frying means no added fat in my recipes, but neither do I sacrifice the crunch, which I adore.
These canapés not only capture that crunch, but also the creamy nuttiness of gooey brie cheese and a dash of hot, tangy cranberry sauce: win/win!
And since phyllo shells are usually fully baked, all you have to do is take them out of the packaging, fill them with the brie, and pop them in the air fryer.
Party tip: Prepare!
- The cranberry topping alone can be made a week ahead of time, which means this recipe will be ready in under 15 minutes if you have it on hand (hello, new holiday appetizer!). Simply cover and refrigerate until ready to make the canapés.
- While this cranberry sauce is used as a topping for this recipe, it can easily serve as a side dish on your holiday table.
Air Fryer Cranberry Brie Canapés
Cranberries are a staple this time of year and you can use fresh or frozen for this recipe. And Brie has a mild flavor, but when served with tart foods (like cranberries), the creaminess is enhanced. Don’t worry about removing the rind from your brie wheel: it’s completely edible!
ingredients
- Spiced cranberry sauce
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1-inch piece ginger or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
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1 vanilla bean or 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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1 (12 ounce) bag (about 3-1/2 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed
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1 3-inch cinnamon stick (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
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3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, divided
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juice of 1 navy orange (about 1/2 cup)
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1 tablespoon of orange zest
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1/4 cup maple syrup
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pinch of kosher salt
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1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- appetizers
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8 ounces brie cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
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2 (1.9 ounce) boxes (30) fully baked phyllo shells
method
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Prepare the ginger and vanilla: Peel and thinly slice the ginger (easiest with the edge of a spoon). Use a sharp paring knife to split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise.
Slightly open the vanilla bean to ensure the seeds are extracted during cooking.
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Make the cranberry topping:
In a 3 quart saucepan, combine the ginger, vanilla bean, cranberries, cinnamon stick, 1 sprig of rosemary, orange juice and zest, maple syrup and the salt.
Stir the ingredients together and heat over medium-high heat for 3 minutes or until the mixture begins to boil.
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Reduce topping:
Reduce the heat to low and let the cranberries cook until they start to pop. Cook the cranberries, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly reduced and thickened to a jelly-like consistency.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the light brown sugar. Stir constantly to dissolve the sugar and coat the cranberries in a thick glaze.
Allow the cranberries to cool to room temperature, leaving the spices in them.
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Prepare your hot air fryer:
Set the function dial on your Cuisinart® Air Fryer Toaster Oven to Air Fry and the temperature dial to 300°F. Remove both the Air Fryer Basket and Baking Pan from the oven, then turn the On/Oven knob to 10 minutes to preheat the oven.
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Fill the phyllo cups:
While your air fryer is heating up, fill your phyllo bowls with the brie pieces. It’s easier to leave the bowls in the packaging while you try to fill them. Remove the shells from the plastic wrap and arrange them in dozens in the Air Fryer basket.
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Bake mussels:
Place the baking pan with the Air Fryer basket in place on position 1 in the oven. Bake the mussels for five minutes.
Once the shells have finished baking, remove them from the Air Fryer Toaster Oven and carefully remove them from the basket. Repeat this step and bake the mussels by the dozen until they are all baked.
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Prepare the rosemary topping:
While the mussels are baking, pick the remaining rosemary leaves in clusters of two or three leaves. Set aside to garnish the canapés later.
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Top up with cranberry sauce and garnish:
When you’ve baked all the brie-stuffed mussels, top each with a teaspoon of cranberry sauce and leave the cinnamon stick, vanilla bean (if you used one), rosemary sprigs, and ginger slices in the pan. Pull out all the rosemary pieces. (Leftover cranberry sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.)
Garnish the top of each canapé with the sprigs of rosemary leaves you picked earlier.
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Serve immediately:
These canapés are best served immediately, but can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
