These Maple Pecan Pie Bites are a great addition to any holiday table!
Ingredients
CRUST:
½ cup salted butter, softened
½ cup (4 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
⅛ tsp. vanilla bean powder
PECAN FILLING:
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
1 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
⅔ cup coarsely chopped pecans
24 pecan halves and powdered sugar for dusting, optional
Instructions
For Crust; beat softened butter and cream cheese in a bowl until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add flour and vanilla powder; mix only until a soft dough forms. Gather into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap; chill in refrigerator for 1 hour 30 minutes or overnight.
In the meantime, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
For Pecan Filling; whisk together eggs, sugar, syrups, coconut oil, and vanilla in a medium sized bowl until well combined.
Lightly toast your pecans in a small pan until warm and fragrant. Add your pecans into the egg mixture and stir.
Spray a 24-sized mini muffin/cupcake pan with cooking spray. Roll out your cold dough into a ½-inch thickness. I use plastic wrap sprinkled with flour to roll it out. Cut into circles using a 2.5-inch cookie cutter or jar. Press each circle carefully into each mini cupcake cavity. Re-roll dough as needed and chill until ready to roll. Fill each pie crust with 1 tablespoon of filling. Dipping the pecan halves into the filling, top the pies with a pecan half if desired.
Bake pies for 15 minutes, or until crusts is lightly browned. Cool pies and use a knife to pop them out. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, and serve!
Recipe by Will Bake for Books at http://www.willbakeforbooks.com/2015/11/maple-pecan-pie-bites/