Recipe: Caramel Pecan Tassies

CARAMEL TASSIES
Source: Recipe by: Edith Tubbs - From: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Monday, November 22, 1999

1 C. butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 C. flour

Filling
14 oz. caramels
1/2 C. (4 oz.) evaporated milk
1 T. whiskey, optional

Topping
1/2 C. butter
1/2 C. shortening
2/3 C. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. + 2 T. (5 1/2 oz.) evaporated milk

Cream together the butter and cream cheese. Add the flour to make a soft dough. Press on bottom and up side of miniature muffin pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Wait for a few minutes and remove tarts from pan. Set on cookie rack to cool.

Filling: Mix above ingredients in double boiler. Stir occasionally until mixture is melted and smooth. Place a teaspoonful of filling in each tart shell, allow filling to set for about an hour. Prepare topping.

Topping: Cream butter and shortening. Slowly add sugar and milk. Beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and beat for another few minutes. Spread on top of each tart. Or for a more professional look, fill pastry bag with topping and pipe on tarts.

Note: You must beat the butter, shortening, sugar and milk until no sugar granules remain in the mixture. This takes about 20 minutes.

CARAMEL PECAN TASSIES
Recipe provided by La Maison Gourmet, Inc.

Dough:
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup cream cheese
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. butter, melted Filling
1 cups light brown sugar
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup pecans, chopped small confectioners' sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare the dough. Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Add the cream cheese and continue beating until smooth. Lower the speed and add all the flour and remaining 2 tbsp. of butter. Mix till a smooth dough is formed.

Pinch off small balls of dough approximately 1" in diameter. Press the dough into the bottoms and sides of mini muffin tins. Set aside.

Prepare the filling. Beat together all of the ingredients for the filling, except the nuts. When the mixture is thoroughly blended, fold in the nuts. Using a small ladle or soup spoon, spoon the mixture into the dough lined tins.

Bake the Tassies for about 25 minutes or until puffed and golden on top. Remove to wire racks to cool. Cool completely, remove from tins and serve with sifted confectioners' sugar on top.