Rose Apple Brie Bites

I feel like I’ve just crossed the finish line of my first marathon and I’m just waiting for someone to wrap me up in one of those foil-like blankets and bring me potato chips and beer. Because these sweet little appetizer treats took me on quite the journey!

What started out as a harmless idea for a simple recipe became an unexpected two-month intensive study on the science of puff pastry. I just couldn’t get it right, but I refused to give it up! 

Originally, I wanted to create one large pastry to serve and share as an appetizer or as part of a larger cheese board. And while it was incredibly beautiful to look at, it was too difficult to cut, too messy to share and too time consuming to get the puff pastry to cook throughout. So down the rabbit hole I went, testing puff pastry shells, crescent dough and apple brie tarts, until finally I decided to just make miniature versions of my grand idea and voila - here we are! 

Despite their dainty appearance, these Rose Apple Brie Bites are simple to make and require just a few ingredients - two things I find important when preparing an appetizer. Because let’s face it, appetizers are the last thing on your mind when hosting a dinner party, but often the most important if your guests suffer from Hanger. 

Filled with a small dollop of apple butter and a few slices of brie, these Rose Apple Brie Bites are topped with a drizzle of caramel and a sprinkle of toasted pecans. They are perfectly festive for fall and holiday gatherings and a fun twist on your typical baked brie dish!

As always, I hope you enjoy this recipe and let me know what you think in the comments below! 

xxMackenzie 

---

Rose Apple Brie Bites

*Serves: 12

Recipe Notes: 

While any ole apples will work for this recipe, I like to use apples that are ruby red in color to give the rosettes more definition. In addition, if you have the time, I suggest soaking the apple slices in a bit of red wine to give them the look of pink-tinted rose petals, although food coloring will also work (though not as nicely). They will of course taste just as good without this added step! 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 sheets, Puff Pastry (such as Pepperidge Farms - sold in freezer section) 
• 5-6 Apples, sliced very thin
• 5 oz. Brie 
• Apple Butter (or raspberry preserves for a sweeter, less savory flavor) 
• Caramel, for drizzling
• Pecans, toasted and chopped, for garnish 
• Optional: about 1/2 cup or more of Red Wine to soak the apples 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. First, use a mandoline or a sharp paring knife to thinly slice your apples. Then, layer the slices in a baking dish or bowl and cover with a bit of red wine. You can either cover and let them sit overnight in the fridge or you can let them sit covered on the counter for 1 hour, turning the apples half way through to ensure they are evenly colored. Meanwhile, be sure to thaw your Puff Pastry according to the package instructions. 
2. Next, line a plate with paper towels and place your soaked apple slices atop the plate. We want the apple slices to be pliable, or easy to roll. If you feel they are not completely pliable, zap them in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds or quickly sauté them in a bit of butter over medium low heat. 
3. Once your puff pastry is thawed and your apple slices are ready, it’s time to prepare the brie bites! Take one sheet of puff pastry, and using a pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut into 6 even strips. If using Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry, it will already be divided/folded to create three nice sections and you can just cut each section in half lengthwise.  
4. Take each strip and smear a small bit of the apple butter or preserves of your choice atop the pastry. Then, take about 8-10 apple slices and begin laying them at the top of the pastry, overlapping each slice as shown above.
5. Next, thinly slice a few pieces of brie and lay them below the apple slices. Then, fold the pastry up over the brie, allowing the apple tops to still show. Next, take one edge of the pastry and pinch it together to form a seam. Then, slowly roll it like a pinwheel. Once completely rolled, use your finger and bit of water or melted butter to smooth the end seam together forming one apple brie rose. Place the rose in a muffin tin and repeat until you’ve filled the pan. 
6. Once you’ve created your roses, place them back in the refrigerator while you preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Once preheated, remove the pan from the refrigerator and place in the middle rack of the oven to bake for 45 minutes. I like to lightly cover the pan with a tent of aluminum foil for the first 20 minutes and then remove for the second half of bake time to prevent over-browning.
7. Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Use tongs or a fork to help remove them from the pan and place them on a serving tray. Drizzle with a bit of caramel and sprinkle with the toasted pecans and serve! 

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

The first time I can remember connecting with food was when I was about eight years old. My sister and I would walk home from elementary school (back when kids still did that), through the Brennan’s backyard, past their rotted treehouse and down the hill to our yellow brick home. On a cool fall day, my sister and I could smell the pumpkin, clove and cinnamon from the sidewalk and we’d race to the door to find my mom pulling a dozen freshly baked Pumpkin Spice Muffins from the oven. 

It was this repeated act of kindness that taught me what it truly means to cook or bake for someone. I quickly learned the subtle way it says, “I care about you,” and “I was thinking about you today.” It wasn’t long before I found myself in the kitchen attempting to make scrambled eggs with tomatoes for my mother. Before I realized how important food is to family and how it unites us. 

I think food’s ability to bring nourishment and comfort to another person is why I love cooking in the first place. The connection to the earth, our farmers, the flavors, the process - the rest is just a cherry on top. 

It’s like Maya Angelou once said, “I’m just someone who enjoys cooking and for whom sharing food is a form of expression.” 

We take care of one another through food. It’s how we get through the moments in life when there are no words and how we celebrate the moments when no words could possibly express our joy. To this day, these Pumpkin Spice Muffins are my family’s way of greeting one another. Of saying, “I care about you” without having to say anything at all. 

I hope you’ll carry on my family’s tradition of making these for someone you care about. I can promise you they won’t forget them as I still have many childhood friends and neighbors who remember and request this recipe to this day!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

*I made 1.5 batches for the above photos to produce 12 “jumbo” muffins. Below recipe will produce 12 regular muffins.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 c flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup canned Pumpkin
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line your muffin tray with paper cups. 
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. In another bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil using a hand mixer. 
4. Next, pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just blended. (Note: using a hand mixer or over-stirring may cause muffins not to rise.)
5. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 15 minutes. 
6. Check muffins with a toothpick around 15 minutes. The muffins are done when the toothpick comes out clean and the muffins are golden. 

These Pumpkin Spice Muffins are just as good for breakfast as they are for an afternoon snack. I like them with a hot cup of tea, my sister likes them with a smear of cream cheese. You’ll find they’re good any ole way. Enjoy!  

Chicken Pot Pie with Parmesan Drop Biscuits

My husband loves food of the Southern persuasion. He’s a real meat and potatoes kind of guy that somehow finds a way to incorporate hot sauce and ranch dressing into just about every meal. And I must say, he gets creative.

When we first moved in together I couldn’t possibly understand why someone would smother a beautifully plated Coq au Vin in Creole seasoning or douse root vegetables in hot sauce. Naturally, I took great offense and felt equally sorry for the blessed food swimming in a sea of flavors that simply did not belong together. 

I realize now that my husband and I simply have different palates. He craves heat, buttermilk and gravy. I crave lemon, fresh cut herbs and greens. Instead of criticizing his tastes, I’ve just learned to prepare food that satisfies the both of us. Meanwhile, he’s learned to love vegetables (though we’re still working on beets and I often get asked, “Where’s the meat?”).

This experience has greatly impacted my food philosophy. As a cook, I’m learning that the foods I prepare will constantly evolve to meet the needs of not only myself, but the ones I love.

Because food should unite us, not divide us. It should be shared with our families and our friends and passed around the table with equal joy.

This recipe for Chicken Pot Pie and Parmesan Drop Biscuits was born out of love and compromise. It’s a recipe that my husband feverishly requests in the heat of summer as well as the dead of winter and it’s really, really good. 

I’ve served this pot pie in a cast iron skillet as well as in individual ramekins. I’ve topped it with these delicious drop biscuits and also covered it in store-bought pastry dough when short on time. The pot pie is perfectly savory. It’s not too thick and not too soupy with just the right amount of vegetables. It can be altered depending on what’s in your pantry and above all else, it’s incredibly comforting. 

I hope this recipe finds its way into your oven and onto your dinner table this fall! 

Enjoy! 

INGREDIENTS

Chicken Pot Pie
*inspired by Patrick and Gina Neely’s Individual Chicken Pot Pie recipe

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 bouillon cube
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp dry sherry
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 1 (9-ounce) bag frozen peas
• Chopped parsley for garnish
• Optional: 1/4 cup heavy cream (if you prefer your pot pie on the creamier side, the heavy cream is delish. I typically make without.)

Parmesan Drop Biscuits: 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 oz fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup whole milk

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. In a large saucepan heat chicken broth and bouillon cube over medium heat until hot. 
3. In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Sauté until tender. Season with salt and pepper. 
4. Add the flour and stir together until its evenly distributed and becomes pasty, about 2 minutes. Stir in the hot broth, sherry, chicken and peas (add the cream here if you are incorporating). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
5. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, Parmesan cheese, baking powder, salt and sugar. Whisk to combine. Add melted butter and milk. Stir to combine.  
6. Ladle chicken pot pie mixture into a large cast-iron skillet or individual oven-proof ramekins. Fill about 3/4 full, leaving room for the biscuits to rise. 
7. Place skillet or ramekins on baking sheet and cover the top with dollops of the biscuit dough (about 1 1/2 TB dough for each biscuit). 
8. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown. 

To serve, sprinkle with fresh parsley and plate with a simple salad.