PECAN TASSIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In small bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup butter until creamy.
• Reduce speed to low, add flour and granulated sugar and beat until well mixed.
• Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• In medium bowl mix brown sugar, vanilla, salt, egg, pecans and remaining 1 tablespoon or butter until filling is blended.
• With floured hands, divide dough into 24 equal pieces (dough will be very soft).
• With floured fingertips, gently press dough pieces evenly onto bottoms and up sides of twenty-four 1 3/4" by 3/4 to 1" ungreased miniature muffin-pan cups.
• I make hundreds of these cookies every Christmas so I use a wooden tart tamper to form the shells.
• Spoon a heaping pecan filling into each cup.
• Bake 30 minutes or until filling is set and edges of crust are golden.
• With tip of knife, gently loosen tassies from muffin-pan cups and place on wire rack to cool completely.
• Store tassies in tightly covered container up to 1 week.