Phyllo Bites

This past weekend my husband and I had our annual wine and cheese potluck and I thought I would try a couple new recipes.  I love those little phyllo bites that you can get and I figured they couldn't be too hard to make.    I decided to find a recipe and make them.
As I was making them, I remembered when I was planning my wedding and meeting with the caterer not understanding why the canapés were so pricey.  The caterer said it is the labour involved in making them that makes them expensive.  After making these phyllo bites I understand, they are pretty labour intensive but they taste great.  I will make them again but not for times when I have a lot of guest to feed.
When assembling these it is not an exact science so don't get too picky about making sure there are exact measurements in each bite.  Just try to have even amounts of the cheese and the preserve of your choice.  Remember not to make these too last minute.  It took me about 20 minutes to assemble 48 bites and then another 15 minutes for them to bake.
*Remember when working with phyllo to keep a damp cloth over the sheets you are not using to prevent them from drying out. 

Phyllo Bites

12 sheets phyllo pastry (thawed)

1/2 cup melted butter

2 cups cream cheese or brie

1 jar of your favourite preserve

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Place one sheet of phyllo on your work surface and using a pastry brush lightly apply the butter.  Repeat with two more sheets.
3. Cut lengthwise into three equal parts and then cross wise into quarters to make 12 squares.
4. Spoon about a teaspoon of the cheese you are using and the preserve onto each square.
5. Gather the corners and sides of each square together and gently twist the top together.
6. Place on a cookie sheet and repeat with each bite.
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until they are a nice golden colour.