Pecan Tartlets

I often call these little tartlets my "anti Christmas mince pies", as they're a deliciously festive alternative to mince pies during the festive season (something to offer all the people who don’t like fruit mince) they're also are great with cuppa or served warm with a scoop of ice-cream. 

Ingredients

Pastry

• 1 heaped cup of plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 100g butter cut into cubes
• 1 dessert spoon sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 of ice cold water

Filling

• 75g butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 cup pecan nuts

Method

Make the pastry. Place flour and butter into a bowl or  food processor and pulse or rub with fingertips until fine crumbs form. 

Add sugar, egg yolk, salt and water and pulse or mix until just combined. If making by hand stir in the ingredients and water using a bread and butter knife until the pastry just holds together. Add more water if required to form the mixture into a soft dough.

Wrap the pastry in paper or cling film and rest it in the fridge for 1/2 an hour before rolling out.

Roll pastry and line mince pie trays or mini muffin pans with pastry circles. In a small saucepan melt together the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla.  Allow the filling to cool slightly before whisking in the egg. Place spoonfuls of filling in cases and decorate with a pecan nut. Bake for 10 minutes or until cooked. Filling will bubble, remove from tins while hot and cool on a rack. Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream. 

Tip

Handle the pastry dough as little as possible to prevent it becoming tough and greasy.