For some reason I associate Pecans with the holidays. I'm not sure why that is. Perhaps because when I was a little girl Santa always left whole nuts (Hazelnuts, Walnuts, Brazil Nuts, Almonds, and Pecans) in our Stockings, and Pecans were my favorite. Maybe it is because when I held those Pecans I liked feeling the smooth texture of their shells. Or it could be that as I grew older and Thanksgiving time drew near, I anticipated the Pecan Pie more than the Pumpkin Pie. And once I started doing my own holiday baking, I found that I preferred the flavor of Pecans in my recipes over any other nut. Granted, some recipes just don't taste right without Walnuts or Hazelnuts; and I love eating Walnuts, Almonds, and Cashews, especially whole. But for baking, Pecans win the prize. And since I do more baking during the month of December than any other month of the year, I purchase more Pecans at that time.
The first year I was married, I was introduced to an entire new world of what I classify simply as "Christmas Cookies." I was familiar with the cookies my Mother and Grandmothers made as they rarely varied their selections from year to year. Once in a while my Mother tried a new recipe that she saw in a magazine or was given by a friend. But there was no guarantee that we'd see it again the next year. So when I was invited to do Christmas Cookie baking with my Mother-in-Law (Alma) and her mother (Annie), I jumped at the chance to learn some new recipes. In my opinion, baking Christmas Cookies is one of those comforting activities that really help get you in the Christmas spirit. I always have the Christmas Tree and decorations up by then so before I get started, I make sure the tree is lit and the Christmas Carols are playing. If I have a fireplace, I start a fire, then turn on the oven, pull out the butter, sugar, flour, and eggs and open my recipe file to begin. Both Alma and Annie were of pure German descent, so I assumed that the cookies we were going to make were from German recipes. But that was not so. I found that some were English, some American, and there was even one that I recently learned was a popular Danish Christmas Cut-out Cookie. And many of them called for Pecans!
Each cookie has its own flavor and attributes, so I can't really say that I have a favorite. I make the ones that my family expects to see from year to year and always throw in a few new ones for variety. If my family really likes the new ones, I'll add them to the list for the following year. I make some that have been in my family for generations, some of Alma's and some that were from Annie's family. I don't make nearly as many cookies as my Mother made when I was growing up. My family is not as large, and storage is a problem. And I tend to make the ones that are not as labor intensive and yield a good number of cookies rather than the more time-consuming varieties so that we have a nice selection. My Mother did not work outside our home until I was in college, so she had more time to devote to her holiday baking than I do. My Mother also had 8 willing little hands to help her (probably more than she really wanted at times), whereas once my boys reached a certain age, they had no interest in Christmas Cookie baking. They did, however, like the fact that during December there was almost always something baking when they arrived home from school, and after I started working, while they were doing their homework at the kitchen table in the evening. When I took a few days' vacation time right before Christmas to finish all the baking, our kitchen looked like a bakery and smelled heavenly. Today both my sons enjoy baking Christmas Cookies, and I have passed my recipes collected from various sources on to them. I know that whether I'm making a recipe that was my Mother's, Alma's or Annie's, I am drawn back to my childhood and young adult years and the times we shared when we gathered together for baking days. I remember my boys in their playpens watching the baking activity in wide-eyed amazement as we produced batch after batch of the delicious treats. And I long to return to the years when they stood on stools helping me make and decorate their favorite cut-out varieties. Those are an integral part of my Christmas memories and I treasure them.
Today I'm sharing Alma Alma
I have a few suggestions about your technique for this recipe. First, don't make the crust or shell too thick. You should have no trouble achieving the indicated yield if you stick to a crust that isn't too thick. If you make the crust too thick, the bottoms will not bake thoroughly in the stated baking time and you will end up with a bottom crust that is soggy and slimy. If you extend the baking time, the tops will become too brown or will burn.
Second, there is now a kitchen tool available for forming the crust in the miniature muffin tins, whereas for many years I formed them by hand. I purchased my miniature-tart shaper from The Pampered Chef® [www.pamperedchef.com], although I am sure you can find them in other stores that carry baking and pastry utensils (see photo below). It is an invaluable tool. You can still make them by hand, but you will achieve a more uniform end product and save yourself unnecessary grief, time and elbow grease by using a tool like this.
My third suggestion is critical for achieving a beautiful little pastry and a perfect tasting miniature pie. Do NOT mix the filling with a mixer. When you use a mixer (stand, hand or egg-beater) the filling forms tiny air bubbles. Then, when the filling is poured into the crust, although it may look like it is full, in reality it is mostly air, not filling. It's sort of the soda pop in a Styrofoam cup effect. There are lots of bubbles at the top of the cup, but not much soda below. The same principle applies here; when you fill the crust with the filling, most of it is only air bubbles. Then, when you bite into the pastry, there will be a "sinkhole" between the crusty looking top and the actual filling. All those air bubbles pop during the baking process, and the filling shrinks, leaving the crusted foam on the top. It does not give you the desired result of scrumptious little pecan pies but rather leaves the filling with a gritty taste. You can see from the photo above how the top is foamy looking and the filling has shrunk. Fourth, if you seem to be running out of filling before you have filled all the crusts, simply add a little more melted butter, vanilla and dark corn syrup to the remaining filling mixture. You will not be able to tell the difference in the finished miniature pies.
Finally, there is an art to putting the right amount of filling into each crust. When they are finished baking, you should be able to easily remove each little pie from the tin. If you over fill the crust, the filling will run over and cause the little pie to stick to the tin; it may even burn. You will end up digging its crumbling goodness out of the tin with a knife. Fill the crust to a point just below the rolled top of the crust. Each pastry should release easily from its cup. I have never used non-stick cooking spray in the tins, and if the crusts are filled properly you shouldn't have to either. These really are a breeze to make if you follow through with my suggestions. And don't think these reserved just for a holiday treat. I make them all year round. They travel well to picnics, potlucks and just about anywhere. I can guarantee they will be a hit where ever you serve them. I hope you will give them a try if you've never before made them. I think you will be glad you did.
For the Crust:
1 cup unsalted Butter, at room temperature8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
2¼ cups All-Purpose Flour
For the Filling:
1. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, or an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese.3 cups Light Brown Sugar 4 Large Eggs (Make sure they're at least large—today what are marked as large are really medium, and if they're too small you won't yield the right amount of filling) 2 Tbsps. Unsalted Butter, melted 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract 1 Tbsp. Flour 2 cups Pecans, halved (or chopped into rough pieces, your preference) Confectioners' Sugar for dusting Directions For the Dough:
2. Add the flour and mix on low until all the flour is incorporated.
3. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour or overnight.4. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
5. Roll the dough into large walnut-sized balls.
6. Place the balls into the miniature muffin cups and working one at a time, press the ball down in the center with a mini-tart shaper. Or, if you don't have one, flatten the ball in the palm of your hand until it is large enough to fit in a muffin cup.
7. Gently press the dough into the muffin cup and either roll the top edge or pinch the top to create a fluted edge.
8. Repeat with the remaining balls.
For the Filling:
1. Mix together the brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, flour and pecans. Pour evenly into crusts.2. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops are set.
3. Cool for a few minutes in the muffin cups and then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
4. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.
5. Store the miniature pies in an airtight container.
©2012 The Cook in Me: Don't Get Tart with Me! Alma's Miniature Pecan Pies by Kathy Striggow
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