Kathrine's Muffin Cookies

A friend gave me this wonderful recipe. It's a little time consuming to prepare (it's hand molded) but the result is totally worth it. This is one of those 'I bet you can't eat just one' recipes! When you first make it, it takes a little while to mold the cookies into the pan...otherwise, the mixing of everything is pretty quick and once you make it several times, it gets easier.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Yields: 24 mini muffins

Ingredients

• CRUST

• 3  ounces  philadephia cream cheese
• 7 1⁄2 tablespoons butter (softened)
• 1  cup flour

• FILLING

• 2 1⁄2 tablespoons butter
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1  egg, lightly beaten
• 3⁄4 cup  finely chopped pecans (walnuts or macadamia nuts)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To make the crust, mix the cream cheese and butter together before adding the flour. Form 24 1” balls of dough. Place each ball in ungreased mini muffin pan and mold up sides to fit. [I used a tablespoon measure to press down on the center then used my fingers to shape the sides.].
3. To make the filling, combine the butter and sugar. Add remaining ingredients. Fill each cup 2/3 of the way full.
4. Bake 25 minutes or until light brown then transfer to cooling rack. [i decreased the time from 30 minutes -- made some last night and though they weren't burnt they were definitely overbaked. ].