For these Brie bites, a staple on the menu at Supperland in Charlotte, North Carolina—one of our 10 Best New Restaurants of 2022—owner Jeff Tonidandel was inspired by the appetizer recipes he used to serve at holiday parties. Supperland’s version features small pieces of melty Brie cheese encased by flaky puff pastry that’s topped with a spoonful of punchy, citrusy sauce.
Chutney-like Jezebel sauce is often made with pineapple and gets a kick from mustard powder. Tonidandel’s version combines cooked orange rind with lemon, sugar, and prepared coarse mustard for a tangy-sweet counterpoint to every rich bite of pastry—seriously, you’ll want to bookmark this sauce to return to in November for a cranberry sauce alternative to serve at your Thanksgiving table. Best of all, using store-bought pastry dough means minimal prep elsewhere, making these puff pastry bites a showstopping entertaining power move that are actually easy to make.
Makes 12
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Bring 1 small orange, halved through stem end, sliced crosswise into half-moons, zest and juice of ½ lemon, ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar, and 1½ cups water to a simmer in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook until orange peel is softened, about 1 hour. Let cool.
Transfer orange mixture to a small food processor or blender and process or blend until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl; stir in 2 tsp. coarse-ground mustard. Set sauce aside.
Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 375°. Unfold 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed; cut into twelve 3×2″ rectangles. Repeat with remaining 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed (you should have 24 rectangles total). Discard dough scraps.
Arrange 12 pastry rectangles on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing 1″ apart. Brush edges with 1 large egg, beaten to blend, and place a piece of 5 oz. Brie, cut into 1½x1x¼” pieces, in the center of each rectangle. Top with remaining pastry rectangles and press edges together to seal, stretching top layer of pastry so edges match up if needed. Crimp edges with a fork, then chill Brie bites in freezer 20 minutes.
Remove Brie bites from freezer; brush tops and edges of pastries with more egg. Cut two ¼”-long vents to make a cross in the top of each pastry, making sure to cut all the way through top layer of dough so vent doesn’t seal back up while baking. (Vents will allow steam to escape and prevent cheese from oozing out the sides.) Bake Brie bites, rotating baking sheet front to back halfway through, until pastry is golden brown and puffed, 16–20 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Arrange warm Brie bits on a platter and top each with 1 tsp. reserved sauce, then sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. finely chopped chives.
