FoodMayhem

We love that our new condo building has a sense of community. It’s something our old apartment building really lacked. Now, we have a yahoo groups message board where people try to meet up for doggie play dates, share info about our developing area, or voice concerns happening in the building.

Yesterday, my condo had a little holiday party in the lobby so we got to meet some more of our neighbors, now surpassing the number of people I knew in my old building after a few years. It felt so nice and festive with the glowing fireplace and big red poinsettias. Everyone brought treats to share, cookies, beer, champagne, fruit…I brought these Plum and Brie Bites.

These are great little party hors d’ oeuvres, one bite finger foods that combine the magical savory and sweet. Who doesn’t love just about anything wrapped in flaky, buttery pastry dough? I like the plum preserves with the brie in these but any variety of preserves would be great: fig, raspberry, strawberry, cherry, or any favorite of yours.

What makes these even better for parties is that most of the work can be done ahead of time. You can store them frozen and bake off whenever you need them. I used half yesterday and I have half in the freezer for next Sunday. Tips at the end of the recipe…

Plum and Brie Bites
~100 bite-sized hors d’ oeuvres

Sour Cream Pastry

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling

• 3/4 cup plum preserves
• 10 oz wedge of brie cheese

egg wash

• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons water

Instructions –

1. To make the sour cream pastry, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the food processor by pulsing a few times. Add the butter and pulse 4 times, then process for 10 seconds, or until it looks sandy.

2. Empty into a very large bowl and form a well in the center. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, yolk, and vanilla extract. Place wet mixture in the center of the well and work from the inside out with a rubber spatula.

3. When the dough comes together, knead a few times with your hands and press together. Divide the dough in half and form a 3″x4″ rectangle with each. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. (Dough can be kept for up to 3 days in the fridge or 1 month in the freezer.)

4. Remove one dough rectangle from the fridge and cut in 4 equal pieces. Keep un-used dough in the fridge.

5. Roll the piece of dough into a 14″ x 3″ strip on a lightly floured surface. Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of preserves down the middle.

6. Cut the brie into thin slices a little less than 1/8″ thick. Cut off the rinds. Lay the brie down the middle on top of the preserves.

7. Using a bench scraper to help, lift the sides of the dough over the preserves and brie, folding one side over the other. Press down gently to seal.

8. Carefully move to a cutting board with seam side down and cut into 1″ pieces.

9. Place them 1″ apart on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Repeat with all the remaining dough, preserves, and brie. Place them in the freezer for 1 hour.

10. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F about 30 minutes before you are ready to bake. Stir together yolk and water for egg wash and brush on each piece before baking.

11. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Remove to cooling racks to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Best served warm.

Tips for Making Ahead:

After all the Plum and Brie Bites are assemble and cut, freeze them on parchment lined trays for 1 hour. Once they are frozen, you can store them in air-tight freezer bags for 1 month. Whenever you want to serve these little bites, you can brush with egg wash and bake them off as directed in the recipe.

posted by jessica at 12:36 PM Filed under French, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.