Maple Crisp Brie Bites are my new finger meals obsession – cheeseboard meets canapé! Crisp maple-butter crostini topped with brie, prosciutto and pecans, they’re low-effort, low-cost, and ideal for taking locations already assembled.

Maple Crisp Brie Bites
I really like taking bizarre issues and giving them slightly improve – simply sufficient to make them really feel a bit particular for hungry, drink-sipping mates with comparatively small effort and low value. Like swapping out a plain bowl of nuts for Texan BBQ Candied Nuts with smoky-sweet-savoury crunch.
In the present day, we’re dressing up cheese and crackers and making Brie Bites! As an alternative of plonking down a wheel of brie with a pile of stale bread slices on the aspect, we’re brushing the bread with maple butter, toasting it till crispy (now we get to name it Maple Crostini), then topping it with slices of creamy brie, a sprinkle of toasty pecans, recent thyme and a shard of prosciutto.
It’s a timeless mixture of cheeseboard favourites, constructed in chew measurement type, and it’s so, so, SO good! I’ve eaten far more than acceptable and I must be ashamed, however I remorse nothing. Life is brief. Let me eat the brie!😅
Components in Maple Crisp Brie Bites
You can completely skip the extras and simply pop a slice of brie on every crostini. These are so tasty similar to that. However every little sprinkle provides slightly something-something that makes this additional particular!
For the maple crostini
Right here’s what you want for the crostini – a very good baguette (not these flimsy low-cost ones!), maple syrup and butter.
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Baguette – Use a very good one with a pleasant crunchy crust, and a chewy crumb with massive fats irregular holes (left, beneath). Ciabatta or sourdough in baguette shapes additionally works. It’s also possible to use loaves and lower the bread into crostini-size items (there isn’t a legislation that prohibits this! 😄)
Keep away from the cheaper, lightweight baguettes bought as “French Sticks” right here in Australia (proper, beneath). The delicate crumb of these are so tremendous that when toasted, you possibly can actually crush them right into a powder between your fingers. That is why they’re no good for crostini and bruschetta, they only can’t maintain as much as the toppings, they only soak by means of instantly and switch into mush. Nonetheless, they are perfect for old-school garlic bread!
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Maple syrup – Actual maple syrup has a stronger flavour, particularly after cooking, as a result of it’s, properly, actual! Maple flavoured syrup tends to lose its style when heated, I discover. Honey will work on this recipe too.
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Butter – I take advantage of unsalted, should you used salted, simply skip the salt.
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Salt – I take advantage of salt flakes right here as a result of it dissolves extra simply than grains (we aren’t simmering the maple butter for lengthy). If utilizing grains, simply stir very properly to verify it’s totally dissolved, and in addition halve the quantity (as a result of 1/2 tsp salt flakes = 1/4 tsp salt grains).
FOR THE TOPPINGS
There isn’t a must spend money on an costly brie – although you possibly can if you would like. When you add all of the toppings, it actually elevates no matter brie you utilize!
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Triple cream brie – I take advantage of triple cream as a result of it’s additional oozy and wealthy, and bizarrely not any pricier than common brie. However actually, any creamy delicate cheese you could slice or smear goes to be nice right here: camembert, goats cheese, Danish feta (ie the delicate spreadable variety), delicate blue cheeses, cream cheese and sure, even common non-triple-cream brie.
And, as talked about above, I actually don’t assume it’s value investing in an costly brie right here. My selection is the Coles model triple cream brie – $5.50 full value (usually on sale), glorious worth for the standard (creamier than pricier manufacturers).
Firmer cheeses (like cheddar) are additionally nice albeit not fairly the identical as a creamy brie. 🙂
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Prosciutto – 6 skinny slices barely weighs 60g/2oz however totally different delis/manufacturers lower to totally different thickness, and the dimensions additionally varies. You need sufficient to place a tiny bit on every (they’re salty, you don’t want a lot!) taking into consideration they shrink by nearly half when baked. Options – Pancetta or jamon are comparable (prepare dinner the identical method) else crispy pan fried salami or bacon would even be fabulous!
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Recent thyme leaves – To make this additional particular, don’t skip this! They add an earthy, herby freshness that makes these really memorable. Dried simply isn’t the identical. And actually, thyme is likely one of the best herbs to develop in a pot. Pop it on a windowsill and also you’ll save a fortune (and emergency herb runs).
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Pecans or different nuts – For nutty goodness. Everyone is aware of nuts and cheese = win! I selected pecans as a result of it’s an apparent match with maple syrup, however just about any nut will work – walnuts, almonds and pistachios are entrance of thoughts as alternate options.
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Maple syrup – For the tiniest drizzle on the finish, so as to add a little bit of shine and attractive drips. I actually use lower than 1/8 teaspoon per crostini else it will get too messy and drippy while you decide it up.
How one can make Maple Crisp Brie Bites
I’ve tried stove-toasting the crostini which works nice – it offers a terrific candy-like crust, however wants nearly double the quantity of butter to forestall it from burning. Even for a bread-and-butter-monster like me, it was an excessive amount of! Plus, flipping every slice a number of instances to make it prepare dinner evenly is a trouble. Oven is method simpler.
Crostini and crispy prosciutto
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Slice the bread 6mm / 1/4″ thick. That is the right thickness – not too skinny (bakes up cracker-like) and never too thick (both too toast-like, or if crispy throughout, will break your enamel!).
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Maple butter – Soften the butter in a saucepan then add the maple syrup and salt. Simmer for simply 20 seconds then take away.
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Brush the maple butter onto either side of the bread. I take advantage of a dab/brush approach to make sure full protection. Unfold them out on a foil + paper lined tray.
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Lay prosciutto on foil + paper lined tray. Don’t fear in the event that they overlap barely, they shrink a lot!
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Bake – Put each trays within the oven. I put the prosciutto on the higher shelf.
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Prosciutto quarter-hour – After 12 to fifteen minutes, take away the prosciutto. They may have shrunk by nearly half, be a bit wrinkled and darkish pink however not brown. Take away onto paper towels to empty extra fats and allow them to cool, then they are going to change into crispy.
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Prosciutto shards – Break the prosciutto into shards. I like lengthy skinny items as a result of I really feel like I get visible affect once I stick it upright within the brie, although I additionally just like the twisted items that I can lay flat on the brie which have crevices to carry little swimming pools of maple syrup. However, I additionally like sprinkling crumbled prosciutto on the brie as properly! Mainly, something works. 😆
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Crostini 20 minutes – After quarter-hour, flip every crostini and shuffle if wanted so that they prepare dinner evenly (in case your oven has sizzling spots). Then bake for an extra 5 minutes till they’re crispy on the sides and calmly crispy on the floor, however nonetheless a bit delicate inside (take a look at with a finger jab). They may crisp up extra as they cool on the tray.
There’s such a factor as too crisp: Should you bake till they’re totally crispy, they get even more durable as they cool and actually, they are often too crispy, as in tooth-chipping onerous!
ASSEMBLING
Tip – If utilizing a creamy, melty brie, slice whereas fridge chilly, earlier than it will get too smeary.
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Minimize the brie into slices simply shy of 5mm / 0.2″ thick. Make the slices a bit shorter than every crostini. I feel it’s good to see a few of the bread, plus additionally if there’s full protection that’s a LOT of brie per piece and also you’d want nearer to 2 wheels of brie.
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Brie – Prime every crostini with a chunk of brie. Patchwork brie offcuts as wanted – as soon as topped with the extras, no one will even understand it’s not a single piece of brie.
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Toppings – Stick a crispy prosciutto shard within the brie (or place/pile/crumble on high). Sprinkle every with a pinch of pecans, drizzle with the tiniest quantity of maple (actually, simply 1/8 teaspoon every) then a small pinch of thyme leaves.
Notice: The order could be very deliberate! Should you do maple first then pecan “mud” will get caught everywhere in the prosciutto which seems to be untidy. Should you do the maple after the thyme then the tiny leaves get washed away by the maple. These are the small print that irrationally irritate and matter to me as a result of I’m a loopy cooking girl.😁
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My favorite half – time to eat! Pour your self a drink (I’m at the moment obsessive about Soiled Martinis) and revel in.
Issues of practicality
I initially pictured a heat, melty-brie state of affairs, however should you bake it then the brie runs all over the place. As for utilizing residual heat from the crostini, the stress of racing to serve it simply wasn’t value it.
So this recipe is designed to be served at room temperature, and due to the gooey goodness of triple cream brie, there’s no lack of melty goodness. Plus, it holds up fantastically for hours with out softening the crostini, so you possibly can assemble forward.
Mainly, whether or not you’re gunning for Worker of the Month, Favorite Baby standing, or bribing your hairdresser for a assured hair appointment anytime you want one, you possibly can assemble it at residence, field it up and it’s nonetheless good hours later.
Or, you recognize – simply be an everyday individual and take it to a picnic. 🙂 – Nagi x
FAQ – Maple Crisp Brie Bites
No less than 3 hours, even 5 hours! The crostini received’t soften from the brie. Simply cowl loosely so the floor of the brie doesn’t dry out, or put them in a container. I do assume it’s good to do the ultimate maple drizzle near serving as a result of it sinks in should you do it too far prematurely. However actually, it takes a minute – perhaps two, tops 🙂 No should be meticulous, simply do an off-the-cuff drizzle throughout the entire platter (go for the country appear like I do!)
Nicely, I’ve actually executed my share of crostinis in order that half is nothing new! And I do like arising with new combos – I really like crostinis as a result of you may make a finger meals out of actually something you’ve got within the fridge (roasted veg, olives, pickles, canned fish) so long as you’ve got some bread mendacity round. Positive, I like to make use of good baguettes if I make them deliberately, however I’ve actually served my share of crostinis made with sandwich bread chopped into 4 squares! 🙂
So anyway, immediately’s flavour mixture was born from the thought of maple baked brie in finger meals type. As a result of as a lot as I really like the thought of baked bries (okay, tremendous, and in addition consuming them!) I truly don’t serve them that always as a result of it’s onerous to share. It form of must be a small group so you possibly can collect round it, it’s good to dig in whereas sizzling and oozy, and I really feel like my crackers all the time break once I go to scoop up the melty brie. 😅
And that’s the place the thought got here from!
I really feel like when you’ve got the fitting flavour mixture (and immediately’s is a protected guess, being cheeseboard favourites), it’s onerous to go improper. 🙂 However, I did must faff round with one of the simplest ways to make the maple crostini. I attempted pan frying, however I discovered I wanted to make use of soooo a lot butter to verify the crostini went golden and crispy as an alternative of brown, and also you needed to repeatedly flip / shuffle to make it prepare dinner evenly.
It was form of a ache, to be trustworthy! Plus, arteries. 😅
So I reverted to baking. I missed the wafer-thin maple layer on the floor, however my physician received’t tut-tut as a lot and it’s decrease effort too.
Apart from that, it was fairly low effort! I bought a bit fussy with shelf life testing to see how far prematurely you would put the brie on the crostini with out the bread softening. I really feel prefer it began to be compromised across the 5 hour mark, but it surely’s onerous to be actual.
An important factor is that in contrast to many different finger meals, it’s not the kind of factor that must be assembled “simply earlier than serving”. No one desires to be placing collectively a gazillion little bites with a gazillion little components for a crowd minutes earlier than serving!
I do know! I realised after I made and christened it that for “regular” individuals, Brie Bites refers to a puff pastry canapé the place you match a chunk of puff inside a muffin tin, fill it with brie and cranberry sauce then bake it.
I keep in mind making that a while in the past and wasn’t an enormous fan. I personally thought the ratio of puff to brie was method off – far an excessive amount of flaky pastry for not sufficient brie – and the bottom of the puff didn’t prepare dinner by means of sufficient.
Anyway, so maybe this isn’t your standard Brie Bites, however it’s how I make them! 🙂
Watch the way to make it
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Maple Crisp Brie Bites
Prep: 15 minutes
Prepare dinner: 20 minutes
Appetizer, canape, Finger Meals, Social gathering Meals
Western
Servings30 – 30 items
Faucet or hover to scale
Forestall display screen from sleeping
Directions
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Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Line 2 massive trays with foil then baking paper.
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Maple butter – Soften the butter in a saucepan over medium warmth. Add the maple syrup and salt, stir. As soon as it involves a simmer, let it simmer gently for 20 seconds then take away from the range.
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Brush/dab the maple butter on either side of every piece of bread. Unfold on a tray.
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Prosciutto – Place the prosciutto on the opposite tray (they will overlap barely, they shrink a lot!).
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Oven – Put each trays within the oven.
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15 minute mark: take away the prosciutto, it must be wrinkled and darkish pink. Switch to paper towels to empty the fats, it should crisp because it cools. Break into shards (lengthy ones look spectacular however any form works).
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20 minutes for crostini: flip the crostini after quarter-hour, then return to the oven for one more 5 minutes or till crisp on the sides, calmly crisp on the lower face however not crisp throughout – it should crisp extra because it cools. Should you take it too far, it will possibly truly change into too crisp!
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Cool – Take away from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes, or totally cool to room temperature.
Assemble:
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Place a slice of brie on the crostini. Stick a crispy prosciutto shard in (or place/pile/crumble on high). Sprinkle with a pinch of pecans, drizzle with a tiny quantity of maple, and lastly sprinkle with just a few thyme leaves.
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Switch to platter and serve!
Recipe Notes:
Precise variety of slices is versatile, each baguette varies in measurement. You’ll be restricted by the maple butter and quantity of brie (don’t skimp on both!).
2. Prosciutto – 6 skinny slices is about 60g/2oz, however thickness and measurement differ. You simply want slightly per chew (they’re salty!) and keep in mind they shrink by half when baked. Pancetta or jamon work properly too, or attempt finely chopped, crispy salami or bacon.
3. Triple cream brie – Additional creamy and naturally oozy from the additional cream. Slice whereas chilly (firmer), then carry to room temp to melt – do that on the crostini should you like. Aussie tip: Coles model triple cream brie is great worth!
Any brie or camembert works, or go daring with blue or different delicate, spreadable cheeses.
Make forward – Holds up fantastically for hours so you possibly can assemble and take locations, although I prefer to drizzle maple on near serving, if I can. Loosely cowl or put in a container so the floor of the brie doesn’t dry out. Baked crostini retains 2 days in an hermetic container.
Diet per piece. Now I don’t really feel so responsible – I anticipated it to be method greater! 😅
Diet Info:
Energy: 77cal (4%)Carbohydrates: 6g (2%)Protein: 2g (4%)Fats: 5g (8%)Saturated Fats: 2g (13%)Polyunsaturated Fats: 1gMonounsaturated Fats: 2gTrans Fats: 0.1gLdl cholesterol: 12mg (4%)Sodium: 116mg (5%)Potassium: 37mg (1%)Fiber: 0.3g (1%)Sugar: 3g (3%)Vitamin A: 93IU (2%)Vitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 26mg (3%)Iron: 0.3mg (2%)
Lifetime of Dozer
Coming to you in actual time! Dozer went in for a dental process immediately:
A no-big-deal process however he did must go underneath a basic anaesthetic which, due to his age and laryngeal paralysis situation, could cause some issues.
So I stayed too. 😅
I’m instructed he misplaced a few enamel however he appears to have handled the overall simply tremendous! I had hoped to share a post-op picture of him however I’m nonetheless ready for him, so that you simply get me as an alternative.🤣
Sure, I introduced a packed lunch.😁 And wrote up immediately’s recipe!
UPDATE: He’s residence and tremendous! He was significantly better than the final time he went underneath a basic anaesthetic, I’m so relieved. He demanded dinner as quickly as he went residence (the entire pre-op fasting factor is the half he struggles with essentially the most!) and had no troubles consuming it regardless of stitches in his mouth and being down a few enamel. Thanks for caring! ❤️