Recipe Time Out: My Old Kentucky Mini Pecan Pies

I derived this recipe from two sources: Betty Crocker's New Cookbook (Macmillan, 1996) for the filling,and www.thekitchn.com for the pastry shells. The result is a chocolaty, bourbony delight in a palm-sized portion. Just the right size to keep that pesky conscience quiet!

[Editor’s Note: Though I say that the recipe serves twelve, the filling is actually enough to make 18 pies. If you don’t want to waste the extra filling, then, double the pastry shell recipe. You’ll have dough left over, but you’ll find the sacrifice is worth it.]

*WARNING: The pastry shells need to be started more than three hours before baking…

PASTRY SHELLS

Ingredients:

5 Tbsp. butter, softened

4 oz. light cream cheese

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. confectioner’s sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

Instructions:

Three hours before baking…

Mix softened butter and cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Blend in flour, a little bit at a time, confectioner’s sugar and salt. Form dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for three hours. (You can also put it in the freezer for 30 minutes, then in the fridge for another 30 minutes.)

When you’re ready to bake the pies…

Preheat oven to 425°. Divide dough into 12 balls (this works out to 27 grams each). Roll flat with a rolling pin and press each into the lightly greased cups of a muffin pan. Allow dough to push up over the edges.

PIE FILLING

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup stick butter or margarine, melted

1 cup dark corn syrup

Bourbon vats in Kentucky

½ tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. bourbon

3 large eggs

1 cup pecan halves or chopped pecans

6 oz. (1 cup) milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips,melted

Instructions:

Beat sugar, margarine, corn syrup, salt, bourbon and eggs in a medium bowl with a wire whisk or hand beater until well blended. Stir in pecans and melted chocolate chips.

Pour filling into pastry shells, making sure not to reach the edges. Bake for 20 minutes, or until dough is golden brown. Allow to sit for five minutes. Run a knife along the edges of cups to loosen and remove each from pan. Set on wire rack to cool.

Here’s the end result:

Mmmm…finger lickin' good!