Double Nut & Date Tassies

The two-bite pecan tarts satisfy the sweet tooth with far less guilt than pecan pie
READER'S COMMENT:

"Amazing! I had to start on a second batch as soon as I finished the first because everyone loved the test batch so much they went quickly. Unlike another commenter, I had no problems with them burning and if you press down the crust and...

Ingredients


Crust

1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (see Note)

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Pinch of salt

Filling

4 ounces pitted dried dates (about 3/4 cup)

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting or whipped cream for garnish

Preparation


1.Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 24 mini muffin cups with cooking spray.

2.To prepare crust: Pulse flour, brown sugar, walnuts, cornstarch, 2 tablespoons butter and salt in a food processor (a mini food processor works well) until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Divide the crust mixture among the prepared mini muffin cups (about 1 1/4 teaspoons per cup) and press evenly into the bottoms.

3.To prepare filling: Combine dates, water, brown sugar and 2 1/2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has cooked away, 8 to 12 minutes. Let cool slightly, then process the date mixture in a blender or food processor until processed into a paste. Add cream cheese and vanilla; blend or process to combine. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in pecans. Divide the date-nut filling among muffin cups (1 generous teaspoon each), gently pressing the filling down and smoothing the tops.

4.Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is lightly cooked, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Loosen the edges of the crust with a small spatula or butter knife and transfer the tassies to a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar or serve with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Equipment: 24-cup mini muffin pan or two 12-cup mini muffin pans

Ingredient Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour has less gluten-forming potential than regular whole-wheat flour and helps ensure tender baked goods. Find it in the baking section of the supermarket or online at bobsredmill.com and kingarthurflour.com.

Nutrition93 calories; 6 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 7 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 24 mg sodium; 60 mg potassium.



1/2 Carbohydrate Serving



Exchanges: 1 other carbohydrate, 1 fat

Apricot-Almond Sandwich Cookies

Sorry, but as of posting time I am having issues with adding images. Hopefully this will get rectified!
Kens Kreations

Elegant and delicious, these cookies are the perfect addition to your holiday spread. For a variation, try with raspberry preserves; you can show off the jewel-like filling by cutting the center out of half of the cookies. If giving these as a gift, be sure to pack them carefully with a layer of wax paper between each cookie.


Apricot-Almond Sandwich Cookies


From EatingWell: December 2006 — Subscribe Now!





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.Elegant and delicious, these cookies are the perfect addition to your holiday spread. For a variation, try with raspberry preserves; you can show off the jewel-like filling by cutting the center out of half of the cookies. If giving these as a gift, be sure to pack them carefully with a layer of wax paper between each cookie.





RecipeAdd/Read Comments (0)login to saveprintshare About 2 dozen cookies



Active Time: 1 hour



Total Time: 1 3/4 hours

Nutrition Profile

Low carbohydrate
View Complete Nutrition Guidelines»

Ingredients

Cookies

3/4 cup whole almonds

1 1/4 cups white whole-wheat flour, (see Note)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling & glaze

1/3 cup apricot preserves

1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, or 3 1/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon low-fat milk

1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup
Preparation


1.To prepare cookies: Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat (see Tip).

2.Process almonds in a blender in 2 batches until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl and add flour, 1/2 cup butter, sugar and salt. Knead the mixture with your hands until well blended. (The dough will be dry.) Gather the dough into a ball; divide it into 2 portions.

3.Working with one portion at a time, roll the dough between 2 sheets of parchment or wax paper until 1/8 inch thick. Cut out cookies using a 2-inch circular cookie cutter. Using a metal spatula, place them 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. (If you like, cut out the centers of half the cookies using a 1-inch cutter.) Gather the scraps, reroll and continue cutting out cookies until the dough is gone. Repeat with the second portion of dough.

4.Bake the cookies, one batch at a time, until puffed and beginning to color, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

5.To fill & glaze cookies: Spread preserves on half the cookies; top with the remaining cookies to make sandwiches.

6.Melt chocolate and 1 tablespoon butter in a double boiler over hot water. Remove from the heat; stir in milk and corn syrup until smooth. Line 2 baking sheets with wax paper. Dip each sandwich cookie halfway into the chocolate, then place on the wax paper. When all the cookies are dipped, refrigerate until the chocolate has set, 20 to 30 minutes.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 4 up to 2 days ahead.

Note: White whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, is light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole-wheat flour.

Nutrition

Per cookie: 125 calories; 7 g fat (4 g sat, 1 g mono); 11 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 26 mg sodium; 19 mg potassium.



1 Carbohydrate Serving



Exchanges: 1 Carbohydrate Serving, Exchanges: 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1 fat

Gold Rush Bars

Ingredients:2 1/2 cups flour


2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sweet white dessert wine, such as Muscat or Late Harvest Riesling

3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/2 cup dried figs, chopped

1/2 cup dried dates, chopped

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup (4 ounces) walnuts, chopped

confectioners’ sugar, optional

Cooking Directions:Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 13x9x2-inch pan with foil; butter bottom of foil. In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.


In small saucepan, heat wine over medium heat until bubbles begin to form at edge. Add apricots, figs and dates; stir and return to a boil. Cover pan, turn off heat and allow to steep 30 minutes until liquid is absorbed; cool.

Cream together butter and sugars using an electric mixer until light nd fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, then extracts; mix until combined. Gradually add flour mixture; stir well.

Spread half of batter over bottom of prepared pan using a buttered, etal spatula. Spread cooled fruit evenly over dough. Drop spoonfuls of remaining batter over fruit layer and gently spread to cover. Sprinkle walnuts over top.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and center is set. Cool pan on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Lift foil to remove bars from pan; cut into diamond shapes. Store bars in airtight container for up to 1 week