Vol au vent appetizers are an epic way to kick off your holiday party. Everyone will devour these!

The hustle and bustle of the holidays is upon us. Big time. This year, my family’s celebrations are going to be spread out over more than a week’s time, starting today and going all the way through until New Year’s Eve.
I adore a drawn out holiday season because it means more great time spent with family and, of course, more food. Because of the multiple get-togethers, I am planning a variety of different appetizer recipes in the hopes that we all don’t get bored with the same old crudités.

I’m not sure what your thoughts on brie are, but my feelings for a wheel of brie are pretty much all encompassing love. Whether the brie is baked or simply served with a chunk of rustic bread and a bottle of great wine, I’m a happy girl.
This year, I wanted to make an appetizer that put a spin on my very favorite brie en croute. These vol au vent bites are essentially mini brie en croute bites. I’ve said it many times, but I’m such a sucker for anything mini!

Individually portioned and just plain adorable, I love anything small and bite sized. These are made with small puff pastry cups, a pinch of brie and a small dollop of jam which makes them both easier to serve and to eat.
Feel free to use your favorite jam on these little bites. I used raspberry and cherry, but peach or strawberry would be delicious, too. A sprinkling of slivered almonds gave them a little crunch but I left a few with no nuts so that C could enjoy some, too.

And it’s a good thing I did because she inhaled about 4 of these when they came out of the oven. Who could blame her? They’re sweet and savory and just plain amazing.
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Vol au Vent Recipe
Ingredients
- 24 Frozen Puff Pastry Shell
- 1/2 wheel Brie Cheese (8 ounces)
- 1/4 cup Raspberry Jam cherry, peach, or strawberry jam
- 3 tablespoons Slivered Almonds toasted (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place frozen puff pastry cups onto un-greased baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven and use the handle of a wooden spoon to press center of the cups down. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
- Place about 1 teaspoon of brie into the center of each puff pastry cup and top with 1/2 teaspoon jam. Bake for 5-6 minute or until cheese is melted and jam is warm. Remove from oven and sprinkle with toasted almonds (if using).