Miniature Camembert, Walnut and Cranberry Pastries

Sunday Dinner

Miniature Camembert, Walnut, and Cranberry Pastries

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Country Bread

Apple Galette
Caramel Sauce Cockaigne
Lightly Sweetened Whipped Crème Fraîche

When I pop one of these little beauties and begin to process the levels of texture and flavor, I get holiday food brain. There are certain smells and tastes that just evoke the holiday season. The combination of Camembert cheese, walnuts, dried cranberries, and a touch of fresh rosemary nestled between layers of flaky, buttery pastry certainly does some serious evoking.

One might think that these are time-consuming and tedious to prepare, but they really aren’t. The pastry can be made and baked up to a day in advance, and the rounds can be filled and kept at room temperature up to an hour before baking. Warm them in the oven just as your guests arrive and serve them immediately with a sparkling beverage or even a hard cider for a nice pairing. Happy Sunday!

Sunday Dinner one year ago
Sunday Dinner two years ago

Miniature Camembert, Walnut and Cranberry Pastries

By Nicole Prep: 25 minsCook: 18 minsTotal: 43 mins Servings: 30 mini pastries Full of cheese, nuts, and cranberries these mini puff pastry bites are a delightful appetizer to serve during the holidays!

Equipment

• Round cookie cutter set

Ingredients 

For the Pastries

• ⅓ cup walnuts, minced
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 ½ teaspoon packed light brown sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 (17 ¼ ounce) package puff pastry, thawed if frozen
• 1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon of water

For the Cheese Filling

• 8 ounces firm Camembert, rind discarded, cut into small cubes and set at room temperature
• ⅓ cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
• ⅓ cup dried cranberries finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions 

For the Pastries

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, stir together walnuts, butter, brown sugar, and salt; set aside.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each sheet of pastry into a 10-inch square. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out about 30 rounds from each sheet of pastry and discard trimming. Transfer the rounds to a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of the rounds with the egg wash, then sprinkle each one with about ¼ teaspoon of the walnut mixture. Bake rounds until golden and puffed, about 10-15 minutes. Slide the pastries still on the parchment onto a baking rack to cool. (Remain oven temperature.)
3. While the pastries are still warm, gently pull each one apart to make a top and bottom. Lightly press down on any puffed inner layers on the tops and bottoms if necessary.

For the Cheese Filling

1. In a medium bowl, mash together the cheese, walnuts, cranberries, rosemary, and salt.
2. Spoon a ½ teaspoon mound of cheese filling between the top and bottom of each pastry. Return the pastries to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake until the cheese begins to melt, 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and serve immediately. Enjoy!
3. Puff pastries can be baked and rounds separated into tops and bottoms 1 day ahead, then cooled completely and kept at room temperature in an airtight container. Pastries can be filled (but not baked) 1 hour ahead and kept loosely covered at room temperature. Enjoy!

Notes

Puff pastries can be baked and rounds separated into tops and bottoms 1 day ahead, then cooled completely and kept at room temperature in an airtight container. Pastries can be filled (but not baked) 1 hour ahead and kept loosely covered at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 107kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Sodium: 102mg, Potassium: 35mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 82IU, Vitamin C: 0.04mg, Calcium: 34mg, Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.