A Twist on Pecan Tarts

One more sleep and it`s Friday! We've almost made it once again and I have to say there were times this week I wondered if I was going to make it to Friday because I have been really, really sleepy!

Good thing my hubby is taking off for the weekend and I'm going to have 3 whole nights with a bed to myself ~ well to myself and one of the dogs. Dora is a princess and the floor will not do for her at night :-)

Derek and his buds are heading off to the Michigan International Speedway this weekend.

Check out their wheels. My grandparents have had this Winnebago since the `80s and it`s accompanied us on many a roadtrip!

Retro baby!

We've been going for years and my parents and godparents went for years before us. This is the first year I am staying home in a long time!! The boys will be camping with a group of Nascar fans and then heading to the race on Sunday afternoon. Other than racing, there are 3 things they'll be getting lots of this weekend: Keystone Light, Jim Beam and FOOD!

Canadians are really limited as to what food they can bring across the border. The rule of thumb is basically no fruit, veggies or meat can cross into the United States. Needless to say, the boys will be in charge of doing their own grocery shopping en route. Scary!! I see alot of meat, potatoes and Bush Beans in their future!

Being the foodie that I am, I couldn't let them go without sending at least a couple of treats for them to munch on over the weekend. I was pretty limited in what I could send, so of course I resorted to the best food group of all: SINFUL SWEETS :-) I think it's safe to say they won't be watching their girlish figures this weekend.

First of all, I whipped a batch of my famous Peanut Butter Blondies with Chocolate Chips. This is one of my favourite recipes! Because they just weren't sinful enough on their own, I smeared on a thick layer of milk chocolate frosting to finish them off. Thank goodness they aren't staying in this house because I think I could eat the whole pan myself!

I did manage to make myself one tiny little brownie, so I could have a sinful little treat for myself while they are away....er,  well there`s still half left to have this weekend hehe!!

If you haven`t made this yet, you must make this recipe. These blondies are YUMMY!

I also made the boys some pecan tarts. But these aren't any ordinary tarts my friends. My grandma made them last weekend and immediately I knew I had to make a batch for Derek's weekend away. They have a special ingredient that gives them a unique twist from the traditional pecan tart....cream cheese!

Twisted Pecan Tarts
Recipe by Grandma McLean :-) ~ she got it off the Internet, but we're not exactly sure where!

Makes 16 tarts

This is my very first attempt at tarts and this was the perfect recipe to start with. It is really easy and really quick to make. The flavour combo is fabulous and I love that the recipe only required 3 tbsp of butter.

16 frozen tart shells

1/3 block cream cheese, cut into 16 cubes

3 tbsp butter, melted (I used Earth Balance)

1/2 c brown sugar

1 egg

1/3 c maple syrup

1/3 c pecans, chopped

Heat oven to 375.

Get your tart shells out and place them on a cookie sheet. Gently press a cube of cream cheese into the bottom of each shell. I wish that I had pressed mine down a little more. Set aside.

In a medium sized mixing bowl beat together the melted butter and brown sugar. Mix in the egg and then the syrup until well blended. Stir in the pecans.

Pour or spoon the pecan mixture into the tart shells over the cream cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.

Sadly, I didn't take any pics of my progress. The phone kept ringing and when I finally got baking, I never thought once about taking a picture until they were out on the cooling rack. Oops!

At least I managed to get you a finished product pic.  

From one professional taste tester (moi!) to another, I have to say these are pretty darn tasty! The cream cheese with the brown sugary filling is delish! Again, good thing the whole batch is heading across the border because I couldn't trust myself to keep my fingers away!!

What's your favourite treat to take camping?

Do you have any getaways that have become a tradition with your family &/or friends?

Enjoy the rest of your evening...& a happy (early) TGIF to you all,

Andrea