Pie crust that works!

If you dug a bit further into the Cookie post below you would have found Ginger Lemon Girl’s Cookie 2008 round-up. And a recipe for Pecan Tassies.  Based on this recipe, I eventually came up with these extremely yummy butter tarts, and a crust recipe that will knock your socks off!  Gluten-eating people had to get their fingers slapped to stay away from these!

Crust:

• 4 oz (half bar)of cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup hard margarine or butter (soft margy will NOT work)
• 1 rounded cup of flour blend for baking
• 1/4 tsp guar gum

Filling:

• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon margarine, melted
• 1tsp vanilla
• dash salt
• handful pecans or walnuts, set aside

Directions:

1. Blend crust ingredients together.  Chill for min. 4 hours.
2. Roll into 1.5-2″ diameter balls and place into greased muffin tin.
3. You should get 12 tart shells from this.
4. Use a small cup or scoop to press out the middle to form a well – or just use your fingers. It is more pastry-like the thinner that it is.
5. sprinkle a few chopped walnuts into the bottom of each shell.
6. Prepare filling ingredients, and scoop 2/3 full into each shell.
7. Bake for 16 minutes or so at 350°F.
8. Cool for 5 minutes, remove from pan before completely cooled.

These are hubby’s favorite holiday treats – Butter tarts – and he LOVED them.  But then again, he hadn’t had any in nearly three years…