Sparkling Apple Brie Bites

I'm surfing along on the internet one day and I find this glorious recipe (see picture) for Sparkling Cranberry Brie Bites. It utilizes fresh cranberries. Well I had just seen a bag of those in the store a couple of weeks back and was wondering what I could use it for, tada!

So I go to my neighborhood super market and look for a bag of cranberries. Turns out they are only around for a limited season. *sighs* So now what do I do with the rest of the ingredients that I bought? Try something new of course!

Now this is certainly either an appetizer or desert, definitely not something you want to make a meal out of, for the fact that it's got a lot of sugar and a lot of cheese. But in small quantities it's enough to help alleviate that sugar craving when you are trying to not eat so much of that powdery white substance.


And now, without further ado, my recipe for Sparkling Apple Brie Bites.

Sparkling Cranberry Brie Bites 

printer friendly recipe

makes about 16 

Sugared Apples

2 cups fresh diced apples (I used honeycrisp, but red delicious and pink lady would work great as well)

1 cup good maple syrup (roughly one cup, see below)

1 cup granulated sugar (roughly one cup, see below)

After washing and dicing your apples place in a bowl. 

Heat enough syrup to coat the apples in a small sauce pan just until warm. 

Pour over apples when syrup is warm. 

Cool, cover, and let soak in the refrigerator overnight (I cheated, I did not let my apples soak over night). 

Place sugar in a large bowl or baking dish (I did not use so much sugar, rather I put my apples on a baking sheet and sprinkled sugar over them).

Add apples roll around until lightly coated in sugar. 

Place on a baking sheet until dry, about 1 hour (I totally ignored this step and slapped those wet, sugar-coated apples onto my brie and crackers). 

16 crackers

8 oz Brie cheese

cranberry (or apple) chutney or cranberry (or apple) relish (I didn't use this ingredient this time)

fresh mint for garnish (I didn't use this ingredient this time either)

Assemble crackers with one slice of brie, a light layer of cranberry (or apple) chutney, and 4 or 5 sugared apple cubes. 

Garnish with fresh mint sprigs. 

Review: Beef Tenderloin Wrap

Original Recipe to be found here at Use Real Butter. 

I modified it a bit as it is originally supposed to be an appetizer.

1/2 lb. Filet Mignon (One Piece)
Salt
2 Stalks Green Onions
6 Tbsps Hoisin Sauce

3 Tbsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tsp Minced Garlic
Skewers

1 Package Baby Bella Mushrooms

1/2 Yellow Onion Sliced or Diced depending on your preference

Salt the filet and broil (or grill or pan sear) to desired doneness (rare to medium rare is preferred). 

Let beef rest and then refrigerate for an hour. 

Wash and trim the green onions. 

Slice the green onions on a shallow angle into thin strips. 

Remove beef from refrigerator and using a sharp knife, slice at an angle to about 1/8-inch thickness, as many slices as possible. 

For each slice, spread a little hoisin sauce on the beef, place a few green onions at one end of the beef (with the onions sticking out over the edges), and roll up the onions in the beef. I found that an easier method is to pour out 3 Tbsps hoisin sauce on a plate and dip one side of the beef in the sauce and continue from there.

Secure onto skewer.

Place olive oil, remainder of hoisin sauce, onion, garlic, and mushrooms in a skillet. 

Sautee over medium heat until onions are a translucent caramel color. 

Pour onion and mushroom mix over fillet skewers.

The reason I pour the onions and mushrooms over the fillet is because I wanted a warm dish for dinner and this recipe has you cool the beef to slice it up. I think if you have a sharp enough knife one could conceivably cut the meat after it has rested for a few minutes out of the broiler. Then the meat would be warm, but barring that you can pour the piping hot veggies over the meat and onions and that warms it up to a decent temp for a hot meal.

This is a very delicious and savory meal. Enjoy! And for super awesome photos of these wraps go check out the recipe's page at Use Real Butter.