April 13 – Gin Fizz & Brie Bites

In France, no one bakes brie. It just doesn’t happen. My husband is French and rolls his eyes anytime I make something like these Brie Bites. I never make a whole baked brie unless it’s for my book club or a party, when I know my guests will finish it off and appreciate it. But today, I don’t care, because I love melty, gooey, baked Brie Bites. I think something sweet and tangy like red pepper jelly (I used Grapefruit Marmalade) goes really well on top, and then some salt, and chopped pecans for crunch.

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Gin Fizz

This cocktail is made with gin, lemon juice, sweetener (simple syrup) and egg white. The drink is then topped off with sparkling water, and the carbonation combined with the eggwhite makes a foamy topping for the drink. So cool! Now if you are vegan, or like me, you shy away from cocktails containing eggwhite, try using aquafaba instead. Aquafaba is the liquid found in a can of chickpeas. It contains a lot of starch and behaves similarly to eggwhite when beaten.

Makes 1 cocktail

  • 2 oz gin

  • 1⁄2 oz simple syrup (or maple syrup)

  • 1 oz lemon juice

  • 1 egg white or 2 T aquafaba

  • Sparkling water or club soda

  • Lemon twist for garnish

This drink has a 2-step shake technique for maximum froth.

1. Place gin, syrup, lemon juice, and egg white or aquafaba in a cocktail shaker. Shake 15 seconds.

2. Fill shaker with ice and repeat shake, until the mixture is nice and cold.

3. Strain into a glass and top with sparkling water.

4. Garnish with a twist of lemon.

Brie Bites

Makes 12 bites

  • 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed

  • 5 oz brie

  • 4 T jam (your choice)

  • 3 T chopped pecans (or any nut)

  • Flaky sea salt

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a mini muffin tin with cooking spray or butter. Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the puff pastry if necessary. You’ll need 12 equal squares of pastry, about 2”x2”, so depending on the brand of puff pastry, you may not need it rolled out any larger. Fit the squares into the muffin tin. Top with a piece of brie, then a dollop of jam. Sprinkle pecans on top. Bake until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Top with some flaky salt.

Drinks, AppetizersCharlotte PlaGin, Fizz, Brie, Bites, Lemon