Pecan Tassies In Cream Cheese Pastry

If slicing and serving the pecan pie is more than you want to handle during the busy holidays, these pecan tassies provide the same great pie taste in single-serving bites.

Ingredients:

• Pastry:
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• Dash of salt
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, softened
• 2 tablespoons fat-free milk
• Cooking spray
• Filling:
• 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup light-colored corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare pastry, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and dash of salt in a small bowl. Combine cream cheese, butter, and milk in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until blended (mixture will be crumbly). Press flour mixture into a ball.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 3 to 4 times. Divide dough into 24 portions. Place 1 dough portion into each of 24 miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Press dough into bottom and up sides of cups, using lightly floured fingers.
4. To prepare filling, divide pecans evenly among muffin cups. Combine brown sugar and remaining ingredients; spoon about 2 teaspoons filling over pecans in each muffin cup.
5. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until pastry is lightly browned and filling is puffy. Cool in cups for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around outside edge of each tassie; remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Cooking Light
NOVEMBER 2000