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An original practice version, not independently kitchen-tested. Time and yield are estimates. Use fully baked, ready-to-fill miniature phyllo shells and follow their package guidance. The image is an illustration.
The little pastry cup does the fancy-looking work. Your part is choosing a filling, keeping it modest, and putting out the bites while the shell is still crisp. These make a useful savory counterpoint to a table full of chocolate and cookies.
Ingredients
- 15 miniature, fully baked, ready-to-fill phyllo shells
- 4 ounces (115 g) brie made with pasteurized milk, cut into 15 small pieces
- 5 tablespoons prepared cranberry sauce, about 1 teaspoon per shell
- Optional: a few tiny fresh thyme leaves, washed, dried and removed from their stems
Check the shells’ label carefully. This method is for pre-baked shells, not sheets of raw phyllo or unbaked pastry cups. Choose the shell size that can comfortably hold a small piece of cheese and a teaspoon of sauce.
Fill and warm
- Preheat the oven to 350°F if permitted by your shell package. Line a suitable baking tray as instructed by the tray and liner manufacturers.
- Set the shells on the tray and place one small piece of brie in each. Do not press so hard that the shell cracks.
- Add about a teaspoon of cranberry sauce. Keep the filling below the rim; an overfilled cup can bubble onto the tray.
- Warm for roughly 8–12 minutes, checking early, until the cheese is soft and the shell crisp. Package instructions take precedence because shell sizes and products vary. This warming step assumes fully baked shells and ready-to-eat fillings.
- Let stand briefly so the filling is not mouth-burning hot. Add an optional tiny thyme leaf, then serve promptly.
If a cup tips or cracks
Use less filling in the next one and check that the tray is level. Keep a cracked shell as a cook’s sample rather than trying to transport it one-handed. A small rimmed baking sheet helps contain any drips.
Make the preparation easy
Cut the cheese and measure the sauce ahead, then keep them covered and refrigerated. Fill shells close to warming so they do not absorb moisture while waiting. For a long party, bake a second small tray later instead of putting every bite out at once.
Keep the serving window sensible
These contain perishable cheese. Follow ingredient storage instructions and FDA buffet guidance: keep hot perishables at 140°F or above when holding, or track time without temperature control. Discard after more than two hours at room temperature, or one hour above 90°F. Refrigerate eligible leftovers promptly; crispness will change. Shelf life has not been tested.
Check for milk, wheat and other allergens in shells, cheese and sauce. Manufacturer guidance for brie in pre-baked phyllo cups illustrates the warming method; it does not mean this version was tested by the manufacturer.
Add a fresh caprese wreath and one sweet from the Christmas collection. You have the beginnings of a very welcoming little table.