Pecan Valley Pecans

½ cup margarine; softened
1 3-ounce package cream cheese; softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cups brown sugar; firmly packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. Combine margarine and softened cream cheese, mixing until well blended. Add flour; mix well. Chill.
3. In another bowl, combine brown sugar, egg and vanilla; mix well. Stir in nuts. Divide chilled dough into 24 balls; press into miniature muffin pans.
4. Fill each cup ¾ full of brown sugar mixture.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Makes 2 dozen

Note: It is best not to use an electric mixer when combining the filling. Also, keep the dough balls from getting too warm as you work or you can’t easily make the little tart shells in the miniature muffin pan

24 unbaked tart shells
½ cup milk
½ cup light cream
2 eggs
1½ cups pureed pumpkin
⅔ cups brown sugar; firmly packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
⅔ cups brown sugar; firmly packed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter; melted
Whipped cream for garnish
Pecan Valley Pecan Halves for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF.
2. Place milk, cream, eggs, pureed pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves, allspice and vanilla in blender or food processor and blend for 2 minutes. Pour into tart shells
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to 275ºF.
5. Continue baking for 30 minutes more, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let tarts cool.
6. For topping: mix nuts and granulated sugar. Stir in butter until mixture is uniformly moist. Sprinkle over tarts.
7. Broil about 5 inches from heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with whipped cream and pecan halves.

1 9-inch pie shell; unbaked
1 cup cooked sweet potatoes
3 eggs
½ cup dark brown sugar; firmly packed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cups half and half
½ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons brown sugar; firmly packed
Whipped Cream

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Put the sweet potatoes through a vegetable ricer. Set aside.
3. Beat the eggs with the brown sugar, and butter until smooth and light.
Beat in the half and half, the sweet potatoes, ginger, cinnamon, salt and the pecans. Turn into the pastry shell.
4. Make the topping by beating 4 tablespoons butter, 4 tablespoons flour and 4 tablespoons brown sugar together. Sprinkle over pie filling.
5. Bake until the top is golden brown and the pie firm, about 40 minutes (a skewer inserted in the center of the pie should emerge clean.) Serve with slightly sweetened Whipped Cream.

1 9-inch pie shell; unbaked
1½ cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1½ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1½ teaspoons vanilla
¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ sticks of unsalted butter
1½ cups chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl mix sugar and flour well with fork. Add eggs and melted butter and blend together.
3. Add coarsely chopped nuts, chocolate chips, vanilla and mix. Pour in pie shell.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes.