Pecan Tassies

 

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 8 oz package of cream cheese softened

2 ¼ sticks of butter or margarine softened

2 ⅔ cups of flour

Filling:

2 eggs

1 ½ cups of brown sugar

1 Tbsp. of butter or margarine

1 tsp. of vanilla extract

 1 cup chopped pecans- I ran them quickly in food processor until they became quite small

Directions:

For the crust:

Preheat your over to 350 degrees.

Beat together the cream cheese and the butter; add flour and mix.

Refrigerate overnight. 

Spray mini muffin pan with non stick spray. 

Roll into nut-sized balls and press into the mini muffin tins. I did this by poking my finger into the middle of each ball and using that as my guide to press it into place.

For the filling:

Mix the brown sugar, remaining butter, eggs and vanilla until combined. Add in chopped nuts

Assembly:

Next put a small amount of the nut mixture (don't fill them up to the top, as the filling expands a bit while baking.)

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Many, many years ago ( really- about 50) I worked in a medical office. In those days people were kind and at christmas patients use to bring us gifts. Doctors never got anything, the girls who worked the desk and helped the doctor got the gifts ( which the doctors were not happy about but knew they had a great staff).

An Italian lady would always make them for us. I can't remember her name but do remember what she looked like. I got the recipe from her on the little index cards we use to write recipes on. That card was a mess and I transferred the recipe to the computer.

A sweet memory of the past.