Cranberry Pepper Jelly + Goat Cheese Baked Brie Bites

Cranberry Pepper Jelly + Goat Cheese Baked Brie Bites

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, y'all. I can't even contain my excitement, literally. I also have Friendsgiving this weekend, which is a great way to test some of my recipes out before the big show. And speaking of this fabulous holiday, every year I realize that one course is often neglected... the appetizers to nosh on while all the important stuff is still cooking. We normally have some charcuterie out, as well as a plate of different cheeses and crackers, but I think it could really do some sprucing up ya'know? Well, my friend, these are the perfect little bites that people can pick up and go multitask. It combines my recently posted homemade cranberry pepper jelly and it's not only perfect with turkey or on leftover sandwiches, but the condiment is great in this too! If you don't feel like making the cranberry pepper jelly (which is completely understandable), then you can sub in almost any jam... cherry, apricot, peach, etc. But I love the profile of the spicy cranberry component and it perfectly fits the season/holiday. As for the brie... I found a great goat cheese brie that, quite frankly, we have been addicted to lately; however, regular brie works just as well!! We personally don't like the rind (on any cheese for that matter), so we chose to remove it. If you don't mind or prefer it, then leave it on, no worries here. Now all you gotta do is buy some frozen puff pastry at the grocery store and cut it into squares and let the layering begin. You have to make sure that you don't over-stuff the squares, so that it seals properly and all of the fillings don't ooze out every where while baking. We purchased a poptart cutter and used that to seal it, but you can use any shape cutter and that will work just as well, just make sure to use a fork to close up the edges. After that, I brush mine with some egg wash, to help the browning, and sprinkle it with some fleur de sel or raw sugar (depending on if I want something more savory or sweet). Once you bake them, they will puff up gorgeously and turn the most perfect golden brown. I let mine cool just a tad, so that the cheese won't be a melty mess, but they are best served warm. Don't you worry though, they are great at room temperature too. I think these will be a great addition to your upcoming Thanksgiving parties. I mean think about it, it's practically a grown-up poptart, yay!! Enjoy :)

layers of puff pastry, goat cheese brie, + cranberry pepper jelly

using our adorable poptart cutter to make hand-held baked brie bites

place them on a baking sheet and brush with some egg wash 

bake them until they are golden brown and devour all of them immediately

For the Baked Brie Bites:

2 Sheets of Store-Bought Puff Pastry, Thawed & Still Cold

4oz Goat Cheese or Classic Brie, Cold

Homemade Cranberry Pepper Jelly

1 Large Egg, Beaten

Splash of Heavy Cream

Fleur de Sel or Raw Sugar, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. Prepping the Puff Pastry: All-butter, store bought puff pastry usually comes frozen and folded into thirds. We’re going to use these folded thirds to our advantage.  Cut the puff pastry into thirds along the creases. Cut each panel into four pieces.  They’ll be 2 1/4-inch tall and 3-inches wide. One sheet of puff pastry will yield 12 rectangles. Cut each rectangle in half. You’ll have 24 little rectangles that will create 12 little rectangle pockets.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silpat. Set this aside.

3. Making the Jelly-Brie Bites: Combine beaten egg and splash of heavy cream. Brush 12 of the small rectangles with egg wash. Place a small sliver of Brie (we like the rind removed, but it can be left on and it’ll still taste great) on top of the egg wash (and stick).  Top with a small spoonful of the homemade cranberry pepper jelly. Take another square of puff pastry and press between your fingers to make the rectangle slightly bigger. Place puff pastry on top of the cheese and jam.  Use a fork to press the edges together or you can use a pop tart cutter like I had.  The egg wash will act as glue. Make sure to seal the edges well by crimping with the fork.  Prick the tops of the pastry lightly with a fork in order to let the steam escape the inside of the pastry. Place the stuffed puff pastry squares onto the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with some of the egg wash. If you want you can sprinkle with a little fleur de sel (or even some raw sugar for a sweeter pastry).

4. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the pastry has puffed and turned to a beautiful golden brown. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly before serving. These baked Brie bites taste best warm, but are also fine at room temperature!

source: bite sized baked brie bites.

#instagrub: Homemade Cranberry Pepper Jelly (for the holidays)

homemade cranberry pepper jelly (for the holidays)

It's officially holiday season, y'all! I anxiously wait every year for Halloween to pass, so I can focus on two of my favorite days of the year... Thanksgiving (and a Friendsgiving thrown in there too) + Christmas. These two holidays are for foodie junkies, which I proudly am. I'm that person that ends up making almost every component, and way too much, so everyone should invite me over. I'll start taking bids now. But I have a hidden agenda, well it's not so hidden anymore, because the only reason I love these holidays are because of the leftover sandwiches the next day. I went crazy last year with this triple decker turducken club sandwich... then I made this thanksgiving panini on homemade pumpkin bread... and before that, I whipped up this thanksgiving leftovers tartine with french toasted dressing cake... finally, I put together my first-ever edition of the "moist maker" sandwich. So you see, we are veteran leftover-using people around this joint. And with every sandwich we've ever made, what's going on them is very, very, VERY important. Today we're talking about the condiment portion of the famous dish. We usually go two routes when making a Thanksgiving sandwich... one homemade aioli and one cranberry sauce. Most of the time you just spread whatever cranberry thing you made that year on to a slice of bread, but I have started preparing earlier on in the season by making a cranberry condiment. I want something that tart yet sweet, chunky + spreadable, and with the slightest hint of heat. This recipe for homemade cranberry pepper jelly has become that go-to condiment for us. Obviously, as Southerners, we love us some sweet + spicy pepper jelly, so why not make a version of this for holidays? It's quite brilliant actually.

reduced-down peppers + pectin with fresh cranberries about to be added in....

You start with some red bell peppers, red jalapenos (or habaneros), sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, liquid pectin, and lemon juice and simmer that down for a little bit until the juices thicken. After a little while you add in some fresh cranberries and cook them until they burst.

Mmm fresh cranberries + spicy peppers

After that has cooked down and pretty much finished, I like to add in some dried cherries or cranberries at the last minute, so they reconstitute a little bit and plump up some to give the pepper jelly some texture. It's allllllll about the texture, people.

Now for the dried cherries (or dried cranberries) for TEXTURE

Once it's all finished up and thickened up real nice, just put them into jars and they'll keep for nearly a month! I think it's a super cute holiday gift for family, friends, or neighbors. So why not pass some out, so everyone can enjoy Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches with you? You'll save them a step and give them something that they'll love... it's a win-win!! Enjoy :)

the finished product!!

For the Cranberry Pepper Jelly:

3 Red Bell Peppers, Finely Chopped

3 Red Jalapeno Peppers, Finely Chopped

1C Sugar

1 ½t Red Pepper Flakes

½t Salt

¼C Liquid Pectin

1T Fresh Lemon Juice

3C Fresh Cranberries

5oz Dried Cherries or Cranberries (one small package)

Directions:

1. Put the bell peppers and jalapenos in a food processor and pulse to finely chop.

2. Combine peppers, chiles, sugar, red pepper flakes and salt in a heavy wide pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Stir in pectin and lemon juice. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in cranberries and simmer gently until they burst and juices thicken, about 10 minutes longer.

4. Lastly, stir in the dried cherries/cranberries and let them simmer for about 2-3 minutes until they slightly reconstitute and plump up again.

5. Transfer jelly to a jar, let cool, and cover. Will keep for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

source: cranberry-pepper jelly recipe

Goat Cheese Queso Fundido with Crumbled Smokehouse Sausage + Pepper Jelly Drizzle

Goat Cheese Queso Fundido with Crumbled Smokehouse Sausage + Pepper Jelly Drizzle

I am so mad at myself... why didn't I think of making this recipe a week ago for the Super Bowl? It's a shame because it's damn good and I'm sad I didn't have it for a party. Boo hiss. Oh well, you don't need a special occasion to enjoy this dip because it's great ANY time. Like  yesterday for instance, the weather finally turned a corner this weekend and the sun came out. Holy crap. It was 65 degrees and as sunny as it could be. And what could be more delightful than yummy chips + dip with an ice cold beer or fancy margarita... well, nothing probably. I have made Queso Fundido in the past, but nothing quite like this. With the simple addition of creamy goat cheese, the flavor profile is brought to a different dimension. The melty monterey jack cheese compliments it perfectly and has that always-lovable stringy quality to it. I don't know, it has a certain "je ne sais quoi" about it all. Ya know? The tang of the goat cheese balances in complete harmony with the crumbled smokehouse sausage. Tangy + Smoky... who doesn't love that? Nobodyyyy. I put my southern twist on the dish with the sausage and the drizzle of homemade pepper jelly. Pepper jelly and creamy cheese are like the South's peanut butter + jelly. No lie, I will spread some cream cheese and this spicy condiment on two pieces of toasted bread and devour it in seconds. Just like how this dip was hoovered in .57 seconds. Yep, it was quite the task, but we did not even struggle. The recipe has it all... salty, sweet, smoky, spicy, creamy, crunchy. I mean really, if it was a person, I would hate it for being an overachieving perfectionist. But c'est la vie, this is (thank god) just an easy queso fundido that only took about 15 minutes to prep & cook. There's nothin' to hate about that. So, call all y'all's galpals and/or bro's and whip up this dip-- everyone is gonna love it!! Enjoy :)

it starts with a layer of crumbled smokehouse sausage.

then you pour over the queso, crumble some goat cheese, and sprinkle with spices

and toast it to perfection.

garnish it with a drizzle of pepper jelly + some diced, roasted red peppers

just dig in + go for it...

because when something this cheesy + gooey is in front of you...

you won't be able to control yourself. word. 

For the Goat Cheese Queso Fundido:

16oz Ground Smokehouse Sausage (or any southern sausage/chorizo/ground meat)

1T Unsalted Butter + 1T AP Flour

1C Whole Milk

12oz Monterey Jack Cheese, Shredded

¼t Salt + Pepper

Chili Powder, Cayenne, & Dried Oregano (for sprinkling)

8oz Goat Cheese, Crumbled into Big Pieces

Homemade Southern Pepper Jelly, For Drizzling

Diced Roasted Red Peppers, Pico de Gallo, or Corn Salsa (for garnishing)

Fresh Cilantro, Minced (for garnishing)

Warmed Tortilla Chips, For Dipping

Directions:

1. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat and cook the ground sausage until the meat is crispy on the outsides, but cooked through (make sure to break it up in the small bite-size pieces). Drain out all of the fat that has been rendered, so that your dip will not be oily.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven broiler. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in milk and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the grated Monterey Jack cheese and season with the salt and pepper. Scrape the mixture into the 8-inch cast iron skillet that is filled with the cooked sausage. Sprinkle the top of the queso with some chili powder, cayenne, & dried oregano. Top it with the crumbled goat cheese evenly throughout the pan. Place the pan under the broiler and broil until the goat cheese is golden brown on top.

3. Remove from the oven and drizzle with homemade pepper jelly and finish with some diced roasted red peppers and a sprinkle of minced cilantro. Serve with warmed chips and a cold beer.