Crispy Phyllo-Wrapped Brie Bites

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Rimmed baking sheet
• •Parchment paper
• •Pastry brush
• •Pizza wheel or sharp knife
• •Clean kitchen towel

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the Brie

   Use cold Brie straight from the refrigerator. Warm Brie squishes and smears under your knife. Cut the wheel in half horizontally to create two thin discs, then cut each disc into twelve wedges. You'll have twenty-four triangular pieces, each about one inch at the base. Keep them cold while you work with the phyllo.

   Don't remove the rind. It softens beautifully when baked and provides structure that keeps the melted cheese from escaping entirely.
2. 2

   Set up your phyllo station

   Clear a large work surface. Unroll phyllo sheets and lay them flat, immediately covering with a barely damp kitchen towel. Phyllo dries within minutes in open air, becoming brittle and impossible to fold. Have your melted butter and a pastry brush within reach. Work with one sheet at a time, keeping the rest covered.

3. 3

   Layer and cut the phyllo

   Place one phyllo sheet on your work surface with the long edge facing you. Brush lightly but thoroughly with melted butter, paying attention to edges where dryness shows first. Layer a second sheet directly on top and butter again. Cut this double layer into six strips, each about three inches wide. You'll work through all eight sheets this way, creating twenty-four strips total.

   A pizza wheel cuts phyllo more cleanly than a knife, which tends to drag and tear the delicate sheets.
4. 4

   Assemble the parcels

   Place one Brie wedge at the bottom of a phyllo strip. Add a tiny drizzle of honey, a pinch of chopped nuts, and a few thyme leaves directly on the cheese. Fold one corner of the phyllo over the cheese to form a triangle, then continue folding in alternating directions, flag-style, until you reach the end of the strip. Brush the finished triangle with butter and place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cheese and phyllo.

5. 5

   Chill or freeze

   At this stage, you have options. For same-day baking, refrigerate assembled parcels for at least twenty minutes to firm the butter and set the layers. For advance preparation, freeze on the baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. They'll keep beautifully for up to two months.

   Frozen parcels bake directly from the freezer. Don't thaw them or the phyllo will become soggy from condensation.
6. 6

   Bake until deeply golden

   Preheat your oven to 400°F with a rack in the center position. Bake chilled parcels for twelve to fifteen minutes, frozen parcels for sixteen to eighteen minutes. The phyllo should turn deeply golden and crisp, with darker edges that taste of caramelized butter. The parcels will feel light when lifted, a sign the layers have crisped through.

7. 7

   Finish and serve

   Transfer to a serving platter immediately. Drizzle with additional honey in thin streams, letting it pool in the crevices of the phyllo. Scatter flaky salt and crack fresh pepper over the top. Serve within ten minutes while the phyllo remains shatteringly crisp and the Brie stays properly molten.

Chef Tips

• •Double-cream Brie produces the most luxurious filling, but any quality Brie works. Avoid pre-sliced or spreadable versions, which contain stabilizers that prevent proper melting.
• •Clarified butter or ghee produces even crispier results because the milk solids in regular butter can burn during baking. If using regular butter, don't worry. Just watch the color carefully.
• •The honey-nut-thyme combination is classic, but these parcels welcome variation. Try fig jam and walnuts, cranberry and rosemary, or simply let the Brie speak for itself with only honey and pepper.
• •For larger gatherings, multiply confidently. Two wheels of Brie and sixteen phyllo sheets produce forty-eight bites, enough for twenty guests at a cocktail party where other appetizers share the table.

Advance Preparation

• •Assembled unbaked parcels can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 24 hours before baking.
• •Frozen unbaked parcels keep for 2 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding 3-4 minutes to the baking time.
• •These do not hold well after baking. The phyllo softens within 20 minutes. For parties, bake in batches, timing the final batch to emerge as guests are arriving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 bite (about 35g)