Fast Easy Recipes For Holiday Appetizers

This holiday appetizer is simple and delicious. You’ll fall in love with this golden brown, flaky Phyllo pastry filled with warm Brie cheese and tangy fruit and nuts.

Baked Brie Wrapped in Phyllo (serves about 15)

Before the recipe, I’d like to share some tips regarding Phyllo dough or Fillo dough. It’s a super delicate pastry dough and usually comes in a box of 20 sheets. Thaw the dough in the fridge until ready to use and take out of the fridge while you are assembling your other ingredients. Make sure that your ingredients are fully assembled (including the preparation of the filling) before opening the package as it dries out very quickly and will literally crumble to the touch.

For this recipe, we will only be using 2 sheets. Be sure that you have the 1/4-cup of melted butter standing by with a pastry brush to liberally brush the sheets and the Brie. Rewrap the unused sheets and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.

After you have finished assembling your Brie/Fruit/Nut purse, you are going to freeze the entire thing for about 30 minutes. The freezing prevents the cheese (which is already soft) from becoming liquid during baking time. Your objective is for the pastry to puff while the cheese becomes warm and creamy.

Your Ingredients:

1 package Phyllo (Fillo) dough thawed
3 tbsp +1/4 cup melted butter (divided)
1 small chopped apple, washed (Gala, Braeburn or other firm apple)
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
3 tbsp chopped pecans
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp apple juice
1 wheel of Brie cheese (7-8”)
1 egg beaten
Baguette French Bread slices (sliced thinly)
apple slices, washed (use lemon juice to keep them from oxidizing)
seedless grapes, washed (red and green)


ADD 3 tbsp butter to a skillet and melt. Add chopped apple, cranberries, chopped pecans, brown sugar and apple juice. Cook until apples are tender, stirring frequently (about 3 minutes). Set aside.

CUT Brie round in half horizontally. Now you have two identical rounds (sort of like a layer cake).

OPEN the package of Phyllo and remove 2 sheets. Brush the first sheet liberally with butter and place second sheet on top and brush liberally again.

LAY the sheets in a lightly buttered 9” pie pan and place the bottom half of the Brie on top of your sheets, rind side down.

BRUSH the top of the bottom half liberally with butter.

SPOON half of your apple mixture over Brie and cover the apple mixture with the top half of the Brie. Brush the top of your top half liberally with butter. Spoon the remaining apple mixture over the top half.

BUNDLE the pastry dough around the Brie and use the egg wash as a glue to pinch the top together. It should look like a purse.

BUTTER the Phyllo purse liberally and wrap the Brie filled pie plate in clear wrap and freeze for about 30 minutes.

Now, when you’re ready to bake…

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. (Oven temperatures vary so check the manufacturers temperature on the box)

REMOVE Brie purse from freezer, brush very liberally with beaten egg and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes (also look at Phyllo directions on package) or until golden brown and flaky. (Definitely keep an eye on it)

LET it cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

CENTER on an attractive small serving platter (with serving knife) and arrange the thinly sliced baguettes, apple slices and grapes around it. Voila’…deliciously beautiful!

Note: Please let me know if this recipe brought a smile to your face by leaving a comment below!

Always Enjoy!