Bite-sized Cookies with a flakey shell and a soft, sweet nut filling that's sure to become one of your Holiday favorite cookies.Difficulty: Easy
Cuisine Eastern European, Italian
Keyword cookies
Method Oven
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 25 minutesminutes
Chilling Time 3 hourshours
Total Time 3 hourshours45 minutesminutes
Servings 24Tarts
Equipment
2 Mini Tart Pans
Large Mixing Bowl
Medium Mixing Bowl
INGREDIENTS
12Pecans - Cut in Half
Tart Shells
1pkg.Cream Cheese - 3 oz.
½cupMargarine - (1 Stick)
1cupAP Flour
Filling
1 Large Egg
1Tbsp.Margarine
¾cupLight Brown Sugar
½tsp.Vanilla
½cupPecans - Chopped Extra Fine
1dashSalt
INSTRUCTIONS
Filling
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients
Tarts
Cut Margarine and Cream Cheese into Flour as you do for Pie Dough
Cover and Chill for a MINIMUM of 3 Hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease Tins (Cooking Spray)
Using your fingers, line each tart cavity with a thin layer of Dough. Rolling into a ball between your palms before inserting in tin helps make the shells uniform.Shells should protrude sightly above the rim of the cavity.
Place a Pecan half in the bottom of each shell
Put 1 tsp. of filling in each shell. (DO NOT overfill.)
Bake for 15 Minutes @ 350°F.
Reduce Heat to 250°F and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Allow to cool completely before removing from pan and storing.
Notes
Since this recipe calls for your oven to cycle through two temperatures, you probably want to make two batches of 24 tarts for a total of 4 dozen.A dusting of powdered sugar before serving is a nice touch.May be frozen in an air-tight container for months.