Mrs. Burdeny's Pecan Tarts

These are an old family favourite that we make every year at Christmas. The recipe comes from my cousin Natalie's grandmother, which is why we've always referred to them as Mrs. Burdeny's tarts. They are a snap to make. The dough is quite elastic-y but very forgiving and easy to work with. Any scraps can easily be re-rolled with no loss in quality or texture. Having said that, always try to fit the most tart shells you can on each rollout of dough. 

If you've never made tarts before, these are the perfect ones to start with.

Base:
Mix together
1/2 cup margarine
4 oz cream cheese
1 cup flour

Let the margarine and cream cheese sit on the counter for an hour or so. They'll become softer and easier to work with.

On lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to 1/8-inch thickness. Using round cookie cutter or glass, cut out 12 circles, re-rolling scraps if necessary. Fit into tart sized muffin cups. (Smaller than regular muffins, the cups should be 1 3/4 inches across)

Filling:
Beat 1 egg with
3/4 cup brown sugar

Stir in
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp melted butter
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Spoon filling into dough-lined muffin tin.

Bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes.