Keep the thawed all-butter puff pastry between 40°F and 50°F, then dust it with 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and work for 8 to 10 minutes. Roll the first sheet to about 10 by 12 inches and cut it into 12 rough squares. Cut the second sheet into 24 strips about 1/4 inch wide. Then cut the 8-ounce double cream Brie wheel into 12 equal pieces. Work quickly. Use firm straight cuts so the pastry edges stay clean and the layers don't get pressed together. Then the pastry should still feel cool and dry, with sharp cut edges and no greasy butter smears. If it turns soft or sticky, the layers can fuse and bake flat instead of flaky. Keep the dough cool because firm butter creates flaky steam pockets.

Press the 12 pastry squares into a 12-cup mini muffin pan, then place one Brie piece in each cup and spoon in about 1 1/3 teaspoons whole-berry cranberry sauce. Scatter the 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves across all 12 cups. Cross two pastry strips over each filling and leave a small gap for the face. Whisk 1 large egg with 1 tablespoon whole milk, then brush a thin coat over the pastry. Chill the filled pan at 38°F for 10 minutes. Keep it light. Next, the wrapped cups should look uneven and homemade, with pale strips crossing at different angles and a little cranberry visible through the gaps. For Halloween Cocktail Party Food, that loose mummy look is better than neat symmetry. However, overfill the cups and the Brie can leak before the pastry sets. Chill first because cold butter holds the mummy strips in place.

Bake the chilled pan at 400°F for 17 to 20 minutes. At minute 10, rotate the pan 180 degrees so the back cups trade places with the front and every strip gets the same blast of heat. Don't open the oven before then because the first burst of steam lifts the pastry layers. The strips should puff and separate while the Brie softens under them. Watch the edges. (My first batch stayed in for 24 minutes. The cheese leaked and the strip tips went bitter, so 17 to 20 minutes is the better window.) Next, look for deep golden edges, dry flaky ridges and small glossy cranberry bubbles near the open gaps. You'll smell toasted butter right before the pastry reaches its best color. Finally, for Halloween Cocktail Party Food, pull the pan before the strip tips turn dark brown. Bake hot because fast steam gives puff pastry its lift.

Rest the baked bites at about 70°F for 5 minutes so the Brie thickens slightly without turning firm. Slice the 6 pitted ripe black olives into 24 small rounds, then press two rounds into each face gap while the Brie is still tacky enough to hold them. Transfer all 12 bites to a serving platter with a little space between them so the flaky sides stay crisp. For Halloween Cocktail Party Food, keep the eyes slightly uneven rather than perfectly matched. Serve within 15 minutes while the centers are still warm and soft. Don't rush it. Then the pastry should crackle when touched and the Brie should look creamy without running across the platter. The olive eyes should stay put when you lift a bite. But decorate straight from the oven and the olives can slide. Wait past 15 minutes and the cheese firms. Rest briefly because the filling needs time to settle before serving.