As a recipe developer, I often ask myself, “How many times do I work on a dish before throwing in the kitchen towel?” Fortunately, there are some recipes I just can’t let go of — or they won’t let me go.
Today’s Pixie Pecan Bites are a perfect example of a recipe that kept me thinking and baking. For over a year now, I’ve had the idea of a mini, bite-size, pecan-flavored dessert that would be easy to make ahead of time and serve at a buffet or cocktail party.
What I didn’t have was the crust. Traditional pie crust, shortbread and cookie dough were all too labor-intensive and weren’t worth the calories and effort to be part of a Kitchen Scoop recipe.
Then I tried frozen mini phyllo cups for the crust. Eureka! They provided the exact crunch, the perfect size and the ease of just opening a box. And, best of all, they were the amazing crust I needed for the pecan filling.
I proudly present Pixie Pecan Bites. The recipe yields 75 bites, plenty for everyone. So let’s have a party!
Pixie Pecan Bites
2 large eggs
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
3 tbsp. sugar
⅓ cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
⅛ tsp. salt
75 frozen mini phyllo shells (5 packages)
1 cup finely chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Break eggs into small bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high until very frothy, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
Pour melted butter, brown sugar and sugar into large bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on medium speed until well-combined, about 2 minutes. Add beaten eggs, corn syrup, vanilla and salt. Beat on medium-high 3 minutes.
Place shells on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Fill each shell ⅔ full (about 1 teaspoon of batter). Top with chopped pecans (about ½ teaspoon per shell). Bake 25 minutes or until filling is light golden brown and edges of shells are crispy brown. Cool and serve, or wrap tightly and store up to 24 hours.
Makes 75 bites.
Each bite has about 32 calories, 1.7 grams fat (.4 g saturated), 6 milligrams cholesterol, 0.6 grams protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, 0.2 grams dietary fiber, 269 milligrams sodium.
Alicia Ross is the co-author of three cookbooks. Contact her c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106, email tellus@kitchenscoop.com, or visit http://kitchenscoop.com.
