Web Cookies

My mom was a wonderful baker. Everyone loved my mom's tassies, and rightfully so. I know that she didn't make up the recipe, but no one's tassies compared to hers, and she freely shared the recipe. I make a these wonderful little pecan-pie-like cookies around Christmas. Sometimes I share them.

MY MOM'S TASSIES

For the crust:

• 3-oz package of cream cheese (room temp)

• 1/2 cup of butter (room temp)

• 1 cup flour

For the filling:

• 1 egg

• 3/4 cup light brown sugar

• 1 TBS butter, softened

• 1 tsp vanilla

• pinch of salt

• 2/3 cup broken pecans

Blend the butter and cream cheese, and stir in the flour. Chill slightly (about 1 hour), then shape into 2-dozen, 1-inch balls. Place the balls into the cups of a mini muffin pan. Press the dough onto the bottom and sides of the cups and divide the pecans among the cups.

Beat together the egg, sugar, the TBS of butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Add this filling mixture to the cups. (I have most recently been placing this mixture in a large plastic bag, then cutting the corner to make a spout for neater pouring.)

Bake at 325 for 25 minutes or until the filling is set. Cool slightly and remove them from the pans (they are easier to remove while still warm).

My God, they are good!