Blueberry Brie Phyllo Pastries

These are so nice because you can prepare them in advance and pop them in the oven like nothing when it’s appetizer time.

They are much easier to eat as a guest, I think, rather than one piece of Brie in one piece of phyllo which tends to be awkward. -Still good, but less approachable.

Don’t worry too much about how they look as you make them. They will turn out better than you think they will anyway -if you have your doubts. 

Either way, they will be the first to go.

The cheese might ooze out while baking.  That is what cheese does when heated.

My advice is to fold your phyllo purposefully, making sure the corners at least touch, if not overlap a bit and use three layers of phyllo.

Using non-stick parchment or a silicone baking mat will allow you to transfer all of the pastries, once they finish baking, from the hot baking sheet onto a rack in one fell swoop, if you want to halt any heat from the baking pan.

How to Make Blueberry Brie Phyllo Pastries

You can, of course, make the blueberry sauce several days ahead.  Keep it in the fridge.

1. In a saucepan, before turning on the heat, combine the sugar and the cornstarch. 

2. Stir in the cold water.

3. Put the pot on medium high and add the grated ginger and the lemon zest. Cook until boiling.

4. Stir in the frozen blueberries and heat until it is boiling again.  

5. Turn the heat to a simmer and cook until thick.  At least 5 minutes.

6. Stir in the orange juice.

7. Let cool completely. It will thicken more as it cools.

8. If you need to speed up the chilling, put the sauce into a bowl, metal is good, and put it in ice water, stirring occasionally.

9. Prepare the Brie by cutting into pieces about ¼ oz (7g). (Make it a rectangle though because it will be easier to wrap in the phyllo than a cube.)

10. Lay the Brie on some parchment or a silicone sheet and put in the freezer until needed. This will give the phyllo a chance to crisp up enough before the cheese melts too much.

 11. Preheat the oven 400°F (200°C).

12. Get your phyllo ready.

It dries very quickly, making it crack.  

13. Wet a large dish cloth, wring it out well, it should only be slightly damp, and keep the phyllo covered.  It usually comes wrapped in parchment paper, so just fold it over the phyllo and cover the whole thing with the damp towel.

14. Prepare your Blueberry Brie Phyllo pastry station. You will need a surface that you can cut the phyllo on. You can use a knife or a pizza cutter.

15. Melt the butter and have a pastry brush ready.

If you melt the butter in the microwave do it slowly and cover it at least with a paper towel. I neglect this step more often than I would like to admit.  And still it surprises me.

Salted butter is more likely to sputter, because of the moisture. (from the salt).

16. Have your blueberry sauce, which should be cold, ready with 2 spoons, and the pieces of Brie.

Lay out one sheet of phyllo and lightly brush it with butter, lay another phyllo sheet on top and lightly brush with butter.  Repeat with a third sheet.

17. Cut the layered sheets in 6 strips, about 2½” (6.5cm) widthwise, so you have 6 short strips, not 6 long.  

18. Imagine you have a square at the bottom of the strip.

Place a scant teaspoon of blueberry sauce about 1” (3cm) above the bottom edge of the strip. Top with a piece of Brie.

19. Fold one corner over the filling, then fold it up.

20. Phyllo is very delicate, but it is quite forgiving.  It will rip, but just keep folding.  You may need to overlap.  Just try to fold it fairly tightly so you don’t actually have openings in the corners.

If you have never used phyllo before, you will get the hang of it pretty soon

21. You can freeze them now, to use another day.

If baking now, brush with a bit of butter and sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar, if you would like.

22. Place them on a silicone sheet or piece of parchment, or non stick foil on a baking sheet.

This higher temperature will crisp quickly, watch them.  Oven temperatures do vary a bit.  

23. Bake for 10-12 minutes.  

If you see any cheese starting to escape or they have browned enough for you, remove them from the oven and carefully remove the parchment or silicone baking sheet from the hot baking pan.  

It will stop it from continuing to over-melt the cheese.

If you are baking from frozen do not thaw them.

Serve it with a white Burgundy, or other Chardonnay,

-or if you have any Champagne to finish up.