I love a tiny, bite sized sweet treat, but even better – is a bite sized treat filled with nuts! Pecans are my favorite nut, and pecan pie is my favorite pie. These tiny individual tarts are chewy and nutty – resembling the flavors of pecan pie for sure. The recipe calls for a little almond extract in the tart dough – which makes for a surprisingly yummy taste combination, and makes these a little unique in the tart world. I have visions of turning this into a full-size tart in the future.

This recipe has been in my recipe card box for … well, many years for sure. Given to me by someone along my travels I’m sure. I’ve been making these every Christmas for at least 20 years. Thank you to whoever you are! I’m happy to share them, once again.

A mini tart pan is a must. Spray with cooking spray, and set aside. I have an amazing little tool for making tart shells – I found it in one of those little kitchen supply stores that I love to wander through – I can’t help myself! And nine times out of ten, I will find something to add to my collection. This tool makes PERFECT little tarts. Of course you can press the dough into the tart pan using your fingers.

Ingredients for tart crust:

1 stick room temp salted butter
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp almond extract
2 c flour
1-2 Tbsp water

Ingredients for tart filling:

1/2 c salted butter
1/3 c Karo dark, or light corn syrup (original recipe calls for dark, but I prefer light)
1 c confectioner’s sugar
1 c chopped pecans (plus 1/2 c pecan halves for tops – optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. For the dough, combine the butter and sugar into a stand mixer using the paddle attachment. Blend til light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and extract. Combine. Add flour, a little at a time. Mixture will become a bit crumbly, so you will need to add 1-2 Tbsp of water, just until it comes together like a pie dough. Mix til smooth.

Place a bit of dough – golf ball size – into each tart. Press with your floured fingers, or use a handy rubber “tart maker” tool as shown above. Cut off the dough around the top of the tart using a knife.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 7 min – just til lightly browned on the edges. Set aside to cool. Lower oven temp to 350.

Prepare the filling:

Combine butter, corn syrup and sugar into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over low-med heat. Once it boils, stir in chopped pecans, and remove from heat. (if you want to top with a pecan half, add these to the mixture as well, to coat them).

Fill tart shells with about a tsp of filling. Top with a pecan half if desired.

Return to the oven at 350, and bake for just 5 min longer. Cool completely. Remove from pan using a sharp knife. This recipe will make 33 to 40 tarts, depending on your pan size, and amount of dough used. These will last for a week in an airtight container, or in the freezer for up to 3 mo.