cranberry brie bites

I love throwing festive parties, but at this time of year I’m always a little worried about two little words: space in the oven. I tend to have a huge number of dishes that require it, and there’s never enough of it.

Luckily, I recently tried out the Cuisinart Air Fry toaster oven, which allows me to fulfil my ambitious plans without having to renovate my kitchen. Not only can I fry snacks, but I can also prepare numerous side dishes to complement everyday meals.

Ingredients

Cranberry spice sauce

• 1 inch chunk of ginger or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 vanilla pod or 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 (12-ounce) bag (about 3-1/2 cups) of fresh or frozen washed cranberries
• 1 3-inch cinnamon stick (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
• 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, separated
• Juice of 1 sea orange (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• A pinch of kosher salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• Canapés

8 oz. brie cheese cut into 1-inch cubes
2 (1.9 oz.) boxes (30) fully baked phyllo shells

Step-by-step recipe for Cranberry Brie Canapés in an air fryer

1. Prepare the ginger and vanilla: peel and thinly slice the ginger (the easiest
   peel and finely slice the ginger (this is easiest to do with the edge of a spoon). With a sharp knife, divide the
   split the length of the vanilla pod with a sharp knife. Open the vanilla pod slightly so that the
   Remove the seeds during cooking.
2. Prepare the cranberry topping: In a three-cup saucepan, combine
   Ginger, vanilla pod, cranberries, cinnamon stick, 1 sprig of rosemary,
   orange juice and zest, maple syrup and salt. Stir
   Combine the ingredients and heat over a medium-high heat for 3 minutes,
   or until the mixture begins to simmer.
3. Reduce the filling: Reduce the heat to low and cook the
   Cranberries until they begin to open. Stirring frequently, simmer
   cranberries for 8-10 minutes or until they have reduced in volume and have thickened to a jelly-like consistency.
   thicken to a jelly-like consistency. Remove the pan from the cooker and
   add the light brown sugar. Stir constantly to dissolve the sugar and
   coat cranberries in a thick glaze. Allow the cranberries to cool to room temperature.
   Allow cranberries to cool to room temperature, reserving spices.
4. Prepare the fryer: Place the function disk of the Cuisinart® Air
   Fryer Toaster Oven to the Air Fry position and set the temperature dial to 300°F. Take out
   the fryer basket and tray from the oven, then set the
   on/oven knob for 10 minutes to preheat the oven.
5. Fill the phyllo cups: While the fryer is heating up, fill the
   phyllo shells with brie slices. It’s more convenient to leave the shells in the wrapper while
   you are trying to fill them. Remove the shells from the plastic wrap and
   arrange them, a dozen at a time, in the basket of the fryer.
6. Bake the shells: Place the tray with the Air Fryer basket in the oven in
   position 1. Bake the shells for five minutes. When the shells
   When the shells have finished baking, remove them from the Air Fryer Toaster Oven and gently
   Remove them from the basket. Repeat this step, baking a dozen shells at a time until
   They are all baked.
7. Prepare the rosemary filling: While the shells are baking, collect
   The remaining rosemary leaves in groups of two or three. Set them aside for
   for later decoration of the canapés.
8. Pour over the cranberry sauce and garnish: When all the shells with
   brie filling are baked, pour a teaspoonful of cranberry sauce over each one.
   sauce, leaving a cinnamon stick, a vanilla pod (if you have used one),
   sprigs of rosemary and slices of ginger in the pan. Take out all the pieces of
   rosemary. (The remaining cranberry sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to
   one week). Decorate the top of each canapé with the rosemary sprigs that
   that you picked up earlier.
9. Serve at once: These canapés are best served at once, but they can also be
   They can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours.