Pecan Tarts

This is a recipe I got when I bought a Mini Muffin Pan from Pampered Chef almost 20 years ago.  I make them around the holidays and they are a family favorite.

Ingredients:

Tart Shells:

• ½ C. butter or 1 stick, softened
• ½ block of cream cheese or 4 oz.
• 1 C. all-purpose flour

Filling:

• 2 T. butter, melted
• ¾ C. brown sugar
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ C. chopped pecans

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth
2. Add the flour and mix until a soft dough forms
3. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
5. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces, rolling each piece into a ball
6. Place the balls of dough into a mini-muffin pan and form a tart shell for the filling, by pressing the dough against the sides of the pan
7. Combine the filling ingredients in a medium bowl
8. Fill each tart shell until level, (don’t over fill)
9. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until light golden brown
10. Remove from the muffin pan and allow to cool

Tips and Tricks:

• This tart shell can be used with lots of fillings.  It is flaky but durable.