Categories: Desserts; Cookies

Ingredients

• Cream Cheese Pastry:
• 1 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons or 1 stick) butter, softened
• 3 ounces (1 package) cream cheese, softened
• Pinch salt
• Pecan Filling
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup pecans, chopped
• Chocolate Topping (Optional, recipe follows)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

2. Prepare pastry. In small bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat cream cheese with 8 Tablespoons butter until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour and beat until well mixed.

3. With floured hands, divide dough in 24 equal pieces (dough will be very soft). With floured fingertips, gently press dough pieces evenly onto bottoms and up sides of twenty-four 1 1/34” by ¾” ungreased miniature muffin-pan cups. If dough gets too soft, chill briefly. Do not let tin show—filling will stick.

4. Prepare pecan filling: In medium bowl, with wire whisk or fork, mix brown sugar, vanilla, salt, egg, and remaining 2 Tablespoons butter until filling is blended.

5. Place half of pecans in pastry-lined cups. Spoon filling by heaping teaspoons into each pastry cup; sprinkle tops with remaining pecans.

6. Bake in 350° F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until filling and edges of crust are golden. With tip of knife, gently loosen tassies from muffin-pan cups and place on wire rack to cool completely. Unmold carefully. Store tassies in tightly covered container up to 1 week. Makes 2 dozen tassies.

7. Optional: Decorate with drizzles of chocolate topping. Store airtight at room temperature.

8. Chocolate Topping:

9. Melt 2 squares semisweet chocolate (1 oz. ea.) and 1 teaspoon flavorless oil in top of double boiler over hot but not simmering water. Drizzle chocolate over tarts.

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