Pecan Pie Cassies Favorite Recipes

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth; gradually beat in flour. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour or until firm enough to roll., Preheat oven to 375°. Shape dough into 1-in. balls; press evenly onto bottoms and up sides of greased mini muffin cups., For filling, in a small bowl, mix egg, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and salt until blended. Stir in 1/3 cup pecans; spoon into pastries. Sprinkle with remaining pecans., Bake 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden and filling is puffed. Cool in pans 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Freeze option: Freeze cooled cookies, layered between waxed paper, in freezer containers. To use, thaw in covered containers.

Steps:

• For the crust: Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles yellow cornmeal mixed with bean-size bits of butter. (If the flour/butter mixture gets warm, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before proceeding.) Add the egg and stir the dough together with a fork or by hand in the bowl. If the dough is dry, sprinkle up to a tablespoon more of cold water over the mixture.
• Alternatively, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor fitted with the metal blade until combined. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles yellow cornmeal mixed with bean-size bits of butter, about 10 times. Add the egg and pulse 1 to 2 times; don't let the dough form into a ball in the machine. (If the dough is very dry add up to a tablespoon more of cold water.) Remove the bowl from the machine, remove the blade and bring the dough together by hand.
• Form the dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
• Roll the dough on a lightly-floured surface into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan and trim the edges, leaving about an extra inch hanging over the edge. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself to form a thick
• edge that is even with the rim. Flute the edge as desired. Freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes.
• Arrange the racks in the center and lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Put a piece of parchment paper or foil over the pie shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake on a baking sheet on the center rack until the dough is set, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift the sides of the parchment to remove the beans. Continue baking until the pie shell is lightly golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• While the crust is baking make the filling: Combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and, stirring constantly, continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts, bourbon and vanilla. Set it aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. (If the crust has cooled, return it to the oven for 5 minutes to warm through.) Whisk the beaten eggs into the filling until smooth. Put the pie shell on a baking sheet and pour the filling into the hot crust.
• Bake on the lower rack until the edges are set but the center is still slightly loose, 40 to 45 minutes. (If the edges get very dark, cover them with aluminum foil half way during baking.) Cool on a wire rack. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Combine butter, sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Let cool slightly. Add eggs, vanilla and salt to mixture; mix well. Pour filling into unbaked pastry shell and top with pecan halves in concentric circles.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup butter and cream cheese in a bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add flour gradually, beating at low speed. Shape mixture into 48 balls and place on a baking sheet. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease the cups of a mini-muffin pan. Press 1 chilled dough ball into each cup and shape into a tart shell.
• Whisk brown sugar, eggs, 2 tablespoons butter, vanilla extract, and salt together in a bowl. Stir in 1 1/4 cups pecans. Spoon mixture into tart shells. Top with the remaining pecans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges of cookie shell are delicately brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Gently remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks, about 20 minutes.