Chocolate Pecan Tartelettes

This recipe has a couple of things that kids love; mini marshmallows  and mini chocolate chips. It is also my go-to recipe for tart shells, so fast and so easy to work with.

You will need:

1/2 c butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, *softened - weigh it, not the full standard size one!
1 c all purpose flour
1/2 c mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp butter
1/3 c sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c pecans, toasted and chopped
2 Tbsp mini semisweet chocolate pieces
24 mini marshmallows

Equipment corner: What I used: a stand mixer, oil spray, a mini-muffin tin, a dough cutter, mini-spatula

Mix the 1/2 butter and cream cheese (*you can soften the cream cheese in the microwave, 7 or so seconds a shot. I hear) in a stand mixer until it is well combined. Add the flour at low speed just until fully incorporated.

White and yellow

With flour

Cover and chill dough for 30 minutes.

Wrapping it in saran wrap

Preheat the oven to 325 and spray a mini-muffin tin with oil. Separate the dough into 24 equal balls. They will be about an inch or so:

Using the dough cutter

Press them into the mini-muffin tin, using your fingers to push up the sides. I have not found that a tart shaper helps at all, but if you have one, go ahead and try that puppy out. That's what you got it for, right? I just find fingers faster and more flexible.

Melt the 1/2 c mini chocolate chips and the 2 Tbsp butter in a small non-stick saucepan; remove from heat and stir in the sugar, egg and vanilla.

Spoon the chocolate mixture into the tart shells, bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the filling is puffed up and the pastry is golden brown.

Quickly top the tarts with the 2 Tbsp mini chocolate chips, the pecans and the marshmallows. I have found that pressing on the puffed filling can give you a bit of a well to put things in, otherwise you will end up chasing melting tiny chocolate chips and bits of pecans everywhere.

Bake for 1-2 minutes more.

Remove from the oven and let sit on a rack in the pan for 5 minutes. A small offset spatula or thin knife can help to remove them from the pan, but hopefully the oil will prevent too much sticking.

Enjoy!