Crust
1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
Filling:
1 egg - beaten
3/4 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tbsp. soft butter
1 tbsp. vanilla
2/3 c. chopped pecans
paper candy or baking cups
Mix the first 3 ingredients together to form dough, then chill at least 2
hours before rolling. Mix filling ingredients together and set aside.Roll cream cheese dough with a rolling pin to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into round shapes with a round cookie cutter, inverted glass, or other round object, depending on the size of the paper candy or baking cups you're using.
Carefully place cut rounds of dough and press into paper candy or baking
cups to cover bottom and sides. Spoon prepared filling into each one - about 2/3 full. Place filled tarts on a cookie sheet for baking. Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Small cupcake baking cups are okay, but for holiday baking I like to make bite size pecan tarts. Small paper candy cups can often be found in grocery or
kitchen stores with holiday designs. These tiny tarts look nice scattered around the top of a tray of cookies.