"I came upon this recipe several years ago in Mother's kitchen," writes Barbara Wilkerson of Talladega, Alabama. "It is now my own family's favorite holiday treat."
Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 hr
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 4 dozen
Ingredients
Special equipment:
Preparation
Step 1
Beat together cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Sift in flour and a pinch of salt and stir until mixture forms a dough. Divide dough into quarters, then chill, each wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 3
Make 12 balls from each piece of dough. Press each ball into bottom and up sides of a mini-muffin cup to form a pastry shell. Chill until ready to fill.
Step 4
Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt until blended, then stir in walnuts. Fill each pastry shell with 1 teaspoon filling.
Step 5
Bake in batches in middle of oven until filling is bubbling and pastry is light brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Run a sharp knife around edges of pastries, then transfer to a rack and cool.
