Recipe: Pecan Tart Cookies

Makes 45 cookies

Dough:

- Nonstick cooking spray

- ¾ cup butter

- ¾ cup granulated sugar

- 4 egg yolks

- 3 tablespoons water

- 1 ½ teaspoons almond extract

- 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Filling:

- ½ cup butter

- ½ cup light corn syrup

- 1 cup powdered sugar

- 1 teaspoon vanilla

- 1 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray the inside of 45 tiny muffin cups (each a scant 2 inches in diameter) with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. (If you don't have enough tins, cool, clean and respray between batches.)

2. To prepare the dough: Combine butter and sugar in a food processor. Add egg yolks, water and almond extract, mixing well. Add flour, pulsing just until the dough forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a plate.

3. Pinch off a tablespoon dough and press into each muffin cup. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool 15 minutes on racks. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

4. To prepare the filling: In a medium saucepan, combine butter, corn syrup and powdered sugar. Melt over medium heat, whisking to blend. Then bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and pecans. Cool 15 minutes.

5. Spoon the filling into the shells. Do not overfill. Bake 5 minutes.

6. Cool the cookies in the pans for about 15 minutes. Run a table knife around the outside of each to remove from the pans. Then cool completely before storing in tins in the refrigerator. (These cookies do not freeze well.)

From "Betty Crocker's Cookie Book"