These beautiful little tarts make ANY dinner special. They are absolutely delicious tiny bites (about the size of a tassie) of cinnamon spiced sweet potato and pecans all baked in a pre-prepared mini-phyllo cup. They are impressive looking, great tasting, ultra-easy and (believe it or not) the recipe says they are only about 45 calories each!! It doesn't get much better than that!!!

1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato
3 tablespoons white sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon dark corn syrup (I used light)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg white

2 (2.1 ounce) packages mini-phyllo shells

Poke sweet potatoes a few times with a knife and place them in a pie plate with 2 tablespoons of water; cover loosely with waxed paper and microwave on high for five minutes (mine took 7 minutes) or until tender.

Mash and measure out 1 cup of sweet potato. Add sugar, cinnamon and salt and stir well (I used my electric mixer to really mash the potatoes). Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine toasted pecans, brown sugar, syrup, vanilla and egg white. Stir well and set aside.

Set mini phyllo shells on a baking sheet and put about 1 teaspoon of the sweet potato mixture into the bottom of each shell (gently push down-in a little). Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of pecan mixture over the sweet potato mixture. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

ENJOY!!!

NOTE: Our super-store sells these little pre-made phyllo shells in the ATHENS brand.

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October 29, 2021

We just love mini desserts, don't you? No extra plates and forks (we use napkins), no "commitment" to a big slice of something; instead two or three different mini-desserts is more to our liking.

This recipe is a combination of two of our favorite holiday treats. It has a bottom layer of moist, spicy pumpkin CAKE and a top layer of rich and creamy CHEESECAKE; what could be better for your holiday buffet table?

 

CAKE LAYER

 

1/2  cup Libby pumpkin puree (NOT the pre-spiced kind)

3/4  cup all purpose flour

1 1/2  teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 large egg

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Mix the flour, spice, salt and baking soda and set aside.  In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, egg, sugar, oil and vanilla until smooth, then add the dry ingredients from the first bowl. Whisk just until well mixed and set aside.

 

CHEESECAKE LAYER

 

(2) 8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)

2   large egg

4 teaspoons all purpose flour

2 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

 



Beat the cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth, then add the egg, flour, sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth, but don't over beat.

ASSEMBLY

Super simple: place cupcake papers in cupcake pan and very lightly mist them with cooking spray.

Put a small amount of cake batter into each paper and make sure it covers the bottom. Top with cheesecake filling(dividing evenly between the 24 desserts).

Bake in pre-heated 350° oven for 25 minutes or until set (my electric oven takes exactly 25 minutes).

Cool to room temperature then chill for at least a couple hours.

NOTE:  These little gems can be made two or three days ahead of time which is a huge help during the holidays. As a matter of fact, they taste even more moist after a couple days in the fridge.  Just make sure that you store them chilled in an airtight container.

NOTE: This cake batter raises nicely, so don't put too much in the bottom of each one...sort of spread it around but not too terribly thick or you will get all cake and less cheesecake.

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December 02, 2020

Picky-picky husband loves these little omelets with diced ham and cheese in them, but I like them with chopped mushrooms, broccoli and bacon. Either way, two mini-omelets make a very filling (and fun) breakfast. 

 Another reason I like this recipe is that it can easily be doubled for a crowd with no standing over the omelet pan while your company is waiting for you!!

  

EASY BAKED MINI-OMELETS        (makes 12)

1 pound of breakfast meat cooked and drained (ham, bacon or sausage)
1 cup favorite veggies, sauteed (optional)
8 large eggs
1/4 cup milk (or cream if you're feeling self-indulgent)
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (depending on how salty your meat is)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

Preheat oven to 375° and spray cupcake pan with vegetable spray.

Whisk the eggs, milk, oil, baking powder and salt and pepper together until smooth.

Divide meat and vegetables evenly between the 12 greased cupcake wells; top with a little cheese.  Pour enough egg mixture in each well to come very close to the top.

Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes (my electric oven takes 22 minutes exactly). During this time, they will really DOME UP like a cupcake, but after you take them out of the oven, they will slowly flatten back down as they cool.

Remove from oven and garnish with another pinch of cheese (I use a little sharp cheddar). Let the mini-omelets rest in the pan for 5 minutes before you take them out (they will easily lift out of the pan after 5 minutes).

NOTE: Use your imagination regarding veggies you want to use in this recipe, just remember the veggies have to be pre-cooked.

NOTE: These little muffins stay warm for quite a while and they reheat VERY well in the microwave. They would be a fantastic addition to any brunch table because they are still tasty at room temperature.

EMPTY NESTERS TIP: When I make these for just the two of us, I cut the recipe in half, which gives us 2 mini-omelets each and a couple to snack on later.

ENJOY !!!

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October 02, 2020