Two Frugal Chicks

The original recipe name of these little beauties is Tea Time Tossils.  That name just doesn’t fit…what’s a tossil, anyways? So I changed it to Pecan Tartlets.  A friend of mine gave me this recipe 10 or so years ago and I stuffed it in my recipe box along with all those other recipes with good intentions.  Occasionally I would run across it and thought of making them.  Then one day a few years ago, I finally made them and am I ever sorry I didn’t make them sooner.  All those wasted years…wah!

PECAN TARTLETS

1 3oz pkg. cream cheese
1/2 C. butter, softened
1 C. flour
1 egg
3/4 C. brown sugar
1 T. butter, softened
Dash of salt
1 tsp. real vanilla
2/3 C. pecans, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Pastry:  Let cream cheese and butter soften to room temperature (I never remember to do this, so I microwaved them both for about 20 seconds).  Blend together with the flour.  Chill about 1 hour (um…yeah that didn’t happen either.  I put it in the freezer while I made the filling). Once chilled (sorta), shape into 2 dozen 1 inch balls and place one ball into each cup of a mini muffin pan.  Press dough onto the bottom and sides of the cups.

Filling:  Beat together the egg, sugar, 1T. butter, vanilla and salt until smooth. Divide the nuts evenly into the cups (oops, I accidentally threw them into the filling, so I stirred it all up and then filled each cup). Spoon filling into cups.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until filling is set.  Cool before removing from pans. 

Even with all my distractions and alterations, they turned out great!

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