Sometimes you find something that just works. We each have our own traditions and family favourites that are offered to family and friends alike during this festive season. I usually make very few Christmas treats, so thank goodness for generous friends who will shower me with baked goods. During the holidays Chocolate Fondue always comes into play for dessert and I offer only a few cookies from my own repertoire each year. Needless to say somehow we are never shy of an overabundant amount of special treats for the holiday season. They have a way of multiplying of their own free will!!!
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| Mini Pecan Cranberry Filo Tarts |
Here it is already the 7th of December and I have made only one successful cookie for the holiday season...sigh. If the truth be known I think cookies were invented to ruin my baking confidence. It is a conspiracy I tell you!!!!Each year I start out confidently with rice flour, berry sugar, quality chocolates and a myriad of other baking treats ready and waiting in my cupboards. Every year I browse through recipes (with visions of sugar plums dancing in my head) and make hard decisions on what will grace my holiday platters... besides the tried and true family favourites. Everything looks so tempting and the magazines make you feel anything is possible with their glossy photos!!!! Alas there have been several attempts and failures so far this year. I have come to the conclusion that cookie baking is the "devils work" so I will stick with what I know, the rest I'll purchase; or alternatively serve Okanagan cheeses and grapes!! Now ask me to make a luscious cheesecake or a layered torte and I will be there, and the results will be amazing!!!!!Somehow cookies are my nemesis. Oh well, we all have our strengths don't we. Maybe my non-cookie baking skills are a gift because if I had mountains of holiday treats ready and waiting I would have to eat them, and we know all that butter and chocolate will go straight to my hips. So I stick with the notion that I am gifted:D
One cookie, (I will call them that), that turned out beautifully this year were these easy, peasy pecan and dried cranberry laiden filo tarts. The little filo tarts are premade so how can you go wrong. My kind of cookie!!!!!!They remind me of my Canadian favourite Butter Tarts but with a crispy, crunchy outer shell.
This recipe was such a success I wanted to send it right away to Susan at Food Blogga's event Eat Christmas Cookies 2009. You can even see the roundup here and find many delightful recipes for the holiday season. So here they are. I even sprinkled them with gold coloured sugar just for you!!!If I can make them, you can too. Perfect eye-candy for your holiday guests who will think you have slaved for hours on these incredibly tasty treats!!! Happy baking!!!!
**Mini Pecan Cranberry Filo Tarts**
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
3 (2.1-ounce) packages frozen mini phyllo tart shells
Garnishes: whipped cream, ground nutmeg
Stir together first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in cranberries and toasted pecans.
Spoon filling evenly into frozen tart shells. Place shells on a large baking sheet.
Bake tarts at 325° for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Cool. Garnish, if desired.
See how easy they are!!!!
You may also enjoy.....
Maple Butter Tarts
Buttertart Squares - Janet is Hungry
My Mom's Classic Buttertarts - Lisa's Kitchen
Orange Caramel Pecan Tarts - Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
Spiced Pecan Tart - The Canadian Baker
Mini Chocolate Pecan Pies - Andreas Recipes
You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.
They look delicious!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
These remind me of the sweet potato pecan tarts I made for the VSC! I'm sure they were yummy!
ReplyDeleteI love working with phyllo and always have some in the freezer. It is just so versatile and handy. These cranberry tarts would make a lovely addition to my Christmas lunch!!!!
ReplyDeletethis is such a pertinent post - i have finally managed to buy both cranberry and pecan, and i love them both!
ReplyDeleteI love adding cranberries to Holiday treats. What a nice one you made Val. I have had my share of cookies that were not successful this year. Hopefully the other ones will turn out great. Have a great day!
ReplyDeletethings i love: crispy, flaky phyllo dough, miniature desserts, mixtures of tart cranberries and crunchy nuts. these are awesome, val.
ReplyDeleteThese look amazing! Thanks for posting this recipe! I'm definitely going to make these for the family over the holidays :)
ReplyDeletexoxo Ange from Bitchin' Lifestyle
I'm pretty much a goner for anything with pecans!
ReplyDeleteVall, these tarts look absolutely amazing, I love phillo dough! xx gloria
ReplyDeleteVal these look superb!Perfect to bring along for a holiday party, and I love those little phyllo dough cups.
ReplyDeleteI've made pecan tassies for years and can't wait to try this version with cranberries and the little filo cups. These will be beautiful on my cookie trays.
ReplyDeleteI have never been super successful with cookies either. I feel like we all have our own forte (mine is cupcakes) and everything else is slightly rough around the edges.
ReplyDeleteThese look delicious though! Like mini pecan pie bites of heaven.
Yum! Great and festive flavor combo and easy to whip up, too!
ReplyDeleteThey look really good! I love the crunch factor too.
ReplyDeleteWell these certainly are a smashing success, Val! I'm good with cookies, but pies are my Achilles Heel, so I know how you feel. Happy Holidays, my dear! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's the same with me and cookies! I've been doing a little better this year but I still haven't made a really good chocolate chip cookie yet :) Your filo tarts look fabulous with cranberries and pecans, looking forward to trying!
ReplyDeleteWe all do have our baking nemeses. I can't make a piecrust that isn't completely mess and pieced together because it just won't hold (although I still bake pies...). I fear caramel. Don't ask me to make tuiles!
ReplyDeleteThese look so good. I love phyllo layers. there is just something about that texture!
I should check out the blog event. I love Food Blogga, but haven't stopped by in a while. How can I not be at a site with COOKIES????
BTW, I would love it if my holiday treats would multiply of their own free will! Sadly, they're a bit skimpy this year. I suppose my waistline is happy, even if my heart isn't.
Wow, Val, those look so festive and beautiful. I bet they taste yummy too!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to keep my eyes open for those phyllo tart shells. They look pretty versatile!
ReplyDeleteHooray! It's working. SUPERB recipe Val, hope life is good x
ReplyDeleteThese look just as good as any cookie, in fact better than most. Nudge one this way would you?
ReplyDeleteGreat addition to the cookie party:)
ReplyDeleteWell, personally I think these are very impressive. I would love to have one or two of these treats for Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI love your Yule Log too! I tried to use it but it's too big.
The Yule log is fun for Christmas.We can all sit by the fire, it certainly is a roaring one!!!
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness this christmas cookies sounds fantastic and heavenly!! and what a great entry for susan's event you baked here!
ReplyDeleteThese look so great. I love the cranberry & pecan combo and there is something about mini when it comes to food that I'm always drawn too! Great recipe!
ReplyDeleteOh thank you, thank you, thank you for this fantastic cookie idea. I hav been jotting cookies to make this season and this will be a welcome addition!!
ReplyDeleteWith so many fabulous recipes out there it is hard to pick and choose which cookies to make! We can't make them all...although I'd surely try if I had time. These little phyllo gems look fabulous!
ReplyDeleteThese look delicious! I've been thinking about how I need to make some little tarts like this soon! And hey I'd taken a plate of Okanagan cheeses and grapes, a cheesecake or a layered torte happily any day! And not remember anything about missing cookies. ;)
ReplyDeleteA wonderful idea for brining these to work or a pot luck!
ReplyDeleteThose are gorgeous, perfect for a party!
ReplyDeleteI love mini foods; they make me want to grab a bunch! That's funny about cookies being your nemesis. For the life of me, I can't bake an acceptable brownie. I guess none of us can do it all! ; )
ReplyDeleteYou're being to hard on yourself Val, everything you make looks amazing! I was drooling over that cheese ladened spaghetti squash of yours too!
ReplyDelete