Pecan Pie Tarts

These festive tarts look complicated to make,

but they're surprisingly EASY!

Pecan Pie Tarts

Crust

3 oz. cream cheese

1 stick of butter

1 cup flour

Filling

2 Tbs. melted butter

3/4 cup brown sugar packed

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350-degrees

To make the crust, cream the butter

and cream cheese together.

Add the flour and mix well.

You will end up with a powdery

 dough like this:

Press the dough together with

your hands to form a ball.

Roll the dough into individual

one-inch balls.

Place the balls into a mini muffin tin.

To easily create the tart shells,

search in your cabinet for

a medicine vial or bottle that

is a bit smaller than the muffin tin openings.

Clean the outside of the bottle well in soapy water and use

it as a pastry dowel.

Flour the bottle between each tart.

I know it sounds a little crazy, but

this method makes it so easy and fast to

create the tart shells.

For the filling, melt the butter.

Mix together with the

rest of the ingredients.

I have a small scoop, but

you can also use a teaspoon.

Fill each tart cup to just below

the top. The filling does

rise a tad in the oven.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow the tarts

to cool for three minutes.

Use a table knife to carefully

lift the warm tarts out of the muffin tin.

Place on a cooling rack

to cool thoroughly.

These make an elegant

addition to your holiday table.