Ingredients

• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In small bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup butter until creamy.

3. Reduce speed to low, add flour and granulated sugar and beat until well mixed.

4. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

5. In medium bowl mix brown sugar, vanilla, salt, egg, pecans and remaining 1 tablespoon or butter until filling is blended.

6. With floured hands, divide dough into 24 equal pieces (dough will be very soft).

7. With floured fingertips, gently press dough pieces evenly onto bottoms and up sides of twenty-four 1 3/4" by 3/4 to 1" ungreased miniature muffin-pan cups.

8. I make hundreds of these cookies every Christmas so I use a wooden tart tamper to form the shells.

9. Spoon a heaping pecan filling into each cup.

10. Bake 30 minutes or until filling is set and edges of crust are golden.

11. With tip of knife, gently loosen tassies from muffin-pan cups and place on wire rack to cool completely.

12. Store tassies in tightly covered container up to 1 week.