Coconut-Pecan Cookie Tarts

Ingredients for dough:

1 cup butter, softened

2 packages (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

2 cups all-purpose flour

Ingredients for Pecan Filling:

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:

In a medium bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; stir in coconut. Gradually add flour to butter mixture, beating at low speed after each addition.

Shape dough into 36 balls; chill for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place dough balls in lightly greased miniature muffin pans, shaping each into a thick shell.

Whisk together all ingredients for pecan filling until well blended. Spoon the pecan filling evenly into tart shells.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 250 degrees and bake 10 minutes more or until filling is set. Cool tarts in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove tarts from pan; cool completely on wire rack.  Yields: 3 dozen.