Caramelized Pear and Brie Bites

 

Caramelized Pear and Brie Bites

Yield 25 servings

Flaky puff pastry, creamy brie, and caramelized pears, these small bites are party-ready!

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 firm-ripe pear, thinly sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 round Brie cheese, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 3 Tablespoons finely chopped pecans

Instructions

Heat oven to 400°F.  Lightly grease a mini muffin pan or spray with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the pear sliced and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Cook 2 minutes then toss gently to fully coat the pear slices in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the pears are tender but not mushy.

On a lightly floured surface, unfold pastry sheet and press into a 10" x 10" square. Cut dough sheet into 5 rows by 5 rows for 25 2-inch squares.

Place a pastry square in each of the mini muffin cups. Bake 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and press down the center of the dough with the handle of a wooden spoon. Place back in the oven and bake an additional 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and press the center down again with the wooden spoon.

Fold a pear slice in half and place it in the indented center of each pastry puff. Top with 2 to 3 pieces of Brie and chopped pecans. Spoon a small amount of the pear glaze over the top of each pastry. Bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until the brie is melted.

Notes

TIPS:

Avoid rolling the pastry sheet; doing so will cause bubbling and unevenness during baking.

 

No mini muffin pan, no problem! Lightly grease a regular-sized muffin pan and follow the rest of the recipe as directed.