Decadent Brie and Cranberry Puff Pastry Tart: The Ultimate Easy Holiday Appetizer
Prepare to delight your taste buds and impress your guests with this incredibly simple yet utterly luxurious brie and cranberry tart with puff pastry. This recipe is destined to become your go-to holiday appetizer, perfect for kickstarting a festive dinner or enjoying as a delightful treat the day after. Each bite offers a harmonious blend of flaky, golden puff pastry, sweet and tangy cranberry sauce, rich and creamy brie cheese, all finished with a delicate drizzle of honey. It’s a sophisticated snack that comes together with remarkable ease, leaving you more time to savor the season.
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If you’re looking for more delicious recipes that utilize seasonal flavors or offer a quick and impressive culinary experience like this leftover cranberry sauce and brie puff pastry tart, you’ll definitely want to explore some of my other favorites. Try my Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini for a festive cocktail, my Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls for a comforting breakfast, or my Cinnamon Puff Pastry Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting for another fantastic puff pastry creation!
Effortless Holiday Entertaining with Brie and Cranberry Puff Pastry
The holiday season should be about joy, family, and delicious food, not stress in the kitchen. That’s why I’m always on the hunt for quick, easy, and impressive recipes that make life simpler from Thanksgiving right through New Year’s Day. This brie and cranberry puff pastry tart is a shining example of such a dish. It requires minimal effort but delivers maximum flavor and elegance, making it an ideal choice for any festive occasion.
Imagine a warm, golden pastry emerging from your oven, its aroma filling the air. The creamy brie is perfectly melted, mingling with the vibrant cranberry sauce, while crunchy pecans add a delightful texture. This tart is versatile enough for low-key family gatherings, a sophisticated addition to your holiday cocktail party, or even a comforting snack for a cozy Netflix night in. It’s proof that gourmet doesn’t have to mean complicated. Let’s dive into how you can bring this exquisite puff pastry tart to your table!
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The Secret to a Simple Yet Stunning Appetizer: Brie and Cranberry Puff Pastry
Holiday appetizers should be impressive without being time-consuming. While I enjoy a classic Thanksgiving charcuterie board, a savory snack mix, or a fresh crudité platter, this puff pastry tart truly takes things to the next level. It offers the same ease as assembling a cheese and veggie tray, yet it presents a sophisticated warmth and flavor profile that’s far more captivating. This elegant tart is sure to be the star of your cocktail table, effortlessly impressing your guests with its refined appearance. But what will truly win them over is the unforgettable taste.
The beauty of this easy puff pastry tart lies in its clever shortcuts, designed to make your preparation a breeze. We begin with readily available, store-bought puff pastry, which forms the perfect flaky foundation for our rich brie and cranberry filling. Inside this golden crust, we layer generous slices of creamy brie, crunchy pecan halves, and vibrant whole berry cranberry sauce. Using canned cranberry sauce is a brilliant time-saver, delivering that essential tart and festive sweetness without any extra cooking.
To elevate the flavors further, a sprinkle of fresh rosemary is added before baking, introducing an aromatic, earthy note that perfectly balances the sweetness. Once baked to golden perfection, a final drizzle of honey creates an irresistible sheen and an added layer of sweetness that makes this appetizer truly special. In just a few minutes of active prep, you’ll have a quick, impressive, and utterly delicious appetizer ready to serve. And after you’ve savored this delightful treat, don’t forget to explore my comforting baked mac and cheese recipe or these charming charcuterie cups!
Key Ingredients for Your Brie and Cranberry Tart
Crafting this elegant tart requires only a handful of readily available ingredients. The quality of each component contributes to the overall deliciousness, so choose wisely!
- Puff Pastry: The foundation of our tart! I consistently rely on Pepperidge Farm puff pastry for its superior flakiness and consistent results, but feel free to use any brand of frozen puff pastry you prefer. The key is to ensure it’s fully thawed before you begin working with it, making it pliable and easy to roll.
- Brie Cheese: The star of the show! You can select any variety of brie that you love or whatever is most accessible at your local grocery store. I typically use a standard wheel of brie and simply slice it into uniform rectangles or wedges, which melt beautifully to create a gooey, luxurious filling. If you adore cheesy recipes, you absolutely must try my Cottage Cheese Alfredo for another creamy delight!
- Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce: This ingredient adds the essential festive tang and sweetness. To keep things incredibly quick and easy, a can of whole berry cranberry sauce works perfectly, providing that delightful texture with minimal effort. However, if you have a favorite homemade cranberry sauce recipe, don’t hesitate to use it for an extra personal touch. For more berry-infused baking, check out my Blackberry Coffee Cake!
- Pecan Halves: These add a crucial element of crunch and a lovely nutty flavor that complements the creamy brie and tart cranberry. Roughly chop your pecans – you want them small enough to spread evenly across the tart but large enough to provide that satisfying textural contrast in every bite.
- Chopped Rosemary: A fantastic herbaceous touch! Fresh rosemary introduces an aromatic, slightly piney note that beautifully balances the sweetness of the cranberry sauce and adds an intriguing depth to the overall flavor profile of this brie and cranberry puff pastry tart. It truly elevates the appetizer beyond the ordinary.
- Egg Wash: This simple mixture of a beaten egg and a little water is vital for achieving that gorgeous golden-brown color and irresistible shiny, flaky finish on your puff pastry crust. It also helps to create a slight barrier, preventing the pastry from becoming soggy.
- Honey: The perfect final flourish! A generous drizzle of honey applied just before serving adds a touch of rich, golden sweetness that ties all the flavors together and makes this puff pastry tart absolutely irresistible. Don’t skip this delightful last step!
Essential Equipment for Your Tart
You’ll be pleased to know that making this brie and cranberry tart is a remarkably straightforward process, requiring very little specialized equipment. You likely already have everything you need in your kitchen!
- Rolling Pin: Essential for gently flattening your thawed puff pastry into the desired rectangular shape.
- Lined Baking Sheet: A large baking sheet, ideally lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, is crucial. This prevents sticking, ensures even baking, and makes for super easy cleanup.
- Pastry Brush: Handy for applying the egg wash to the puff pastry edges, guaranteeing that beautiful golden-brown and flaky finish.
Expert Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
To ensure your brie and cranberry tart turns out perfectly every time, here are some helpful tips and answers to common questions:
Generally, for recipes with very wet fillings, like my Puff Pastry Pizza, pre-baking (or blind baking) the puff pastry can be beneficial to prevent sogginess. However, for this brie and cranberry tart, we specifically do not cook the puff pastry ahead of time. The reason is that our filling, composed of brie, cranberry sauce, and pecans, has minimal liquid content. The puff pastry will crisp up and achieve its signature flaky texture beautifully in the same amount of time it takes for the brie to become wonderfully melty and the cranberry sauce to warm through and become even more delicious.
With this particular recipe, the risk of a soggy bottom is significantly reduced due to the relatively dry filling. However, there are a couple of crucial steps to ensure optimal crispness. First and foremost, do not skip brushing the puff pastry with an egg wash prior to adding your filling ingredients. This egg wash acts as a protective barrier, preventing any slight moisture from the cranberry sauce or melting brie from penetrating the pastry and making it soft. Secondly, always ensure your oven is at the correct temperature. Many ovens tend to run a bit cold, which can hinder the puff pastry from rising and crisping properly. Using an oven thermometer is an excellent way to verify your oven’s accuracy and guarantee a perfectly crisp and flaky crust every time.
While this puff pastry tart truly shines when served warm and fresh from the oven, it can certainly be stored for later enjoyment. Allow the tart to cool completely to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. When you’re ready to serve, you have a few options: you can gently reheat it in the oven or a toaster oven until warmed through and the pastry crisps up again, or you can even serve it chilled, which offers a different but equally delightful texture and flavor experience.
Absolutely! To save time on the day of serving, you can slice the brie and chop the pecans and rosemary a day in advance. Store the brie in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and the pecans and rosemary in separate small containers at room temperature (pecans) or in the fridge (rosemary). Keep your puff pastry in the freezer until you’re ready to thaw it, ideally overnight in the refrigerator for best results.
If you try this delightful recipe, I would absolutely love to hear from you! Please consider leaving a star review rating and a comment below to share your experience. Your feedback is so wonderful and genuinely helps others discover and enjoy these recipes! And don’t forget to share your beautiful creations with me on social media by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!
More Delicious Recipes to Explore
If you loved this brie and cranberry puff pastry tart, be sure to check out these other fantastic recipes that are perfect for entertaining, cozy nights in, or simply treating yourself!
- Peppermint Espresso Martini
- Pear Puff Pastry Tart with Caramelized Onion and Blue Cheese
- Air Fryer Naan Pizza
- Cheesecake Mousse Cups
📖 Recipe
Brie and Cranberry Tart with Puff Pastry
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10 minutes
25 minutes
35 minutes
Appetizer, Snack
American, French
12
slices
238
kcal
Chenée Lewis
Equipment you may need
-
¾ sheet baking pan
-
parchment paper
-
silicone baking mat
-
pastry brush
Ingredients
-
1 sheet
puff pastry – thawed -
1 large
egg – beaten with 1 tablespoon water -
8 oz
(227 g)
brie cheese – sliced -
½ cup
(140 g)
whole berry cranberry sauce – store-bought or homemade -
½ cup
(50 g)
pecan halves – roughly chopped -
2 teaspoon
(1 g)
rosemary – chopped -
2 tablespoon
(42 g)
honey – for drizzling
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Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner to prevent sticking and ensure easy cleanup.
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Carefully unroll the thawed puff pastry sheet onto the prepared baking sheet. Gently roll it out further with a rolling pin to form a 10×15 inch (25×38 cm) rectangle. Fold in the edges of the pastry by about ½ inch (1.25 cm) to create a defined border, then crimp the edges with a fork for a decorative touch, if desired. Using a fork, pierce the inner part of the puff pastry all over (this prevents it from puffing up too much in the center). Brush the entire inner portion and the raised outer edge of the puff pastry with the egg wash.1 sheet puff pastry,
1 large egg -
Arrange the sliced brie cheese in a single, even layer over the inner part of the pastry, making sure to stay within the created border. Next, dot dollops of the whole berry cranberry sauce evenly over the brie. Generously sprinkle the chopped pecans over the cranberry and brie, followed by the freshly chopped rosemary, ensuring good distribution for flavor in every bite.8 oz brie cheese,
½ cup whole berry cranberry sauce,
½ cup pecan halves,
2 teaspoon rosemary -
Bake the tart in the preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until the puff pastry is beautifully golden brown, puffed, and flaky, and the brie cheese is melted and bubbly. Once removed from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes. Just before serving, drizzle generously with honey for an added touch of sweetness and shine. Serve warm and enjoy!2 tablespoon honey
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