Pecan Tassies 

For the Crust:

1 3-ounce package cream cheese

� cup butter, softened

1� cups flour

1� teaspoons baking powder

� teaspoon salt

For the Filling:

1 egg

1 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of salt

1 cup pecans, chopped and divided

In an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, and add to the cheese-butter mixture. Form into a ball and refrigerate one hour.

Divide into 24 small balls. (To do this evenly, shape the dough into a long rope. Cut the rope in half, then the two halves in half. Cut these four pieces in half. Cut the resulting eight pieces into three equal segments.)

Prepare two mini-muffin tins with spray oil. Press the balls of dough against the bottoms and sides of the tins.

In a bowl, beat the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt until well blended. Then stir in cup of pecans. Spoon the filling into the dough-lined cups.

Top with remaining pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins immediately and cool before storing in an air-tight container.

Makes 24