These are really good. Like little pecan pies!

Southern Belle Bars
courtesy Land-O-Lakes

Preparation time: 10 min Baking time: 38 min
Yield: 25 bars

Crust Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Filling Ingredients:
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Heat oven to 350°F. Combine 1 1/4 cups flour, butter and sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/4 cup pecans.

Press crust mixture evenly onto bottom of ungreased 8 or 9-inch square baking pan. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until very light golden brown on edges.

Meanwhile, combine all filling ingredients except pecans in small bowl; mix well. Stir in pecans. Spread evenly over hot, partially baked crust. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until filling appears set and knife inserted 1-inch from edge comes out clean. Cool completely; cut into bars.

Linda

What about Truffles? This is Alton Browns Chocolate truffle recipe, but there are many you could choose from....

Alexa

***************************************************

Chocolate Truffles
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2004

.Prep Time:50 minInactive Prep Time:2 hr 30 minCook Time:5 minLevel:
IntermediateServes:
30 to 35 truffles. Ingredients
•10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
•3 tablespoons unsalted butter
•1/2 cup heavy cream
•1 tablespoon light corn syrup
•1/4 cup brandy
•1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder, finely chopped nuts, and/or toasted coconut, for coating truffles
•8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
Directions
Place the 10 ounces of chocolate and butter in a medium size glass mixing bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir, and repeat this process 1 more time. Set aside.

Heat the heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the melted chocolate mixture; let stand for 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir gently, starting in the middle of bowl and working in concentric circles until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and creamy. Gently stir in the brandy. Pour the mixture into an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Using a melon baller, scoop chocolate onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Place the cocoa powder, nuts, and/or toasted coconut each in its own pie pan and set aside.

In the meantime, place the 8 ounces of chocolate into a medium mixing bowl which is sitting on top of a heating pad lined bowl, with the heating pad set to medium. Depending on the heating pad, you may need to adjust the heat up or down. Stirring the chocolate occasionally, test the temperature of the chocolate and continue heating until it reaches 90 to 92 degrees F; do not allow the chocolate to go above 94 degrees F. If you do, the coating will not have a nice snap to it when you bite into the chocolate. Once you have reached the optimal temperature, adjust the heat to maintain it.

Remove the truffles from the refrigerator and shape into balls by rolling between the palms of your hands. Use powder-free vinyl or latex gloves, if desired.

Dip an ice cream scoop into the chocolate and turn upside down to remove excess chocolate. Place truffles 1 at time into the scoop and roll around until coated. Then place the truffle into the dish with either the cocoa powder, nuts or coconut. Move the truffle around to coat; leave truffle in the coating for 10 to 15 seconds before removing. In the meantime, continue placing the chocolate-coated truffles in the cocoa or other secondary coating. After 10 to 15 seconds, remove the truffle to a parchment lined sheet pan. Repeat until all truffles are coated. Allow to set in a cool dry place for at least 1 hour; or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Truffles are best when served at room temperature.

.

Here is a link that might be useful: Alaton Browns Chocolate Truffles

Another great one. This is from SharonCB for shortbread. It is wonderful and you can easily dip each one in chocolate bark for an impressive presentation.

Posted by canarybird (My Page) on Mon, Dec 17, 07 at 13:42

Here's the recipe from my Aunt which has been made for over 60 years and is a family favourite which has been passed on and on and on. It's one great shortbread!:
Aunty Doe's Shortbread

1/2 lb salted butter - softened to room temperature
1/2 cup sifted icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)
2 cups flour

Mix butter and icing sugar, then add flour, mixing by hand.
Form into a brick shape...if necessary put in fridge to cool, then slice into thick rectangles.
(Slice thickly from the end of the "brick" and then slice each one again so the pieces come out at around 1" x 2" (2.5 cm x 5 cm) and about 3/4 inch thick. She liked to put a small dot of either red or green glace cherry in the middle of each.)

Bake on parchment lined cookie sheet at 275F for one hour.

Jo

These two always remind me of the holidays:

Brenda's Cherry Cupcakes

makes 3 doz. mini muffin pan cakes

1/2 stick butter (4 TB)
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 egg yolks, well beaten (whites will be used also)
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 t. baking powder
2 TB maraschino cherry juice
2 beaten egg whites
large jar of maraschino cherries
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Cream butter and sugars together. Add yolks, mix well. Sift flour and baking powder (or stir together well); add to creamed mixture. Stir in cherry juice. Fold in beaten egg whites. Grease mini muffin tin cups. Put in 1 t. batter, 1 cherry, cover with second teaspoon batter.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove from cups and roll in powdered sugar. Cool completely on a rack. Makes about 3 dozen tiny cakes.

Sandies

1 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
2 t water
2 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 c. chopped pecans
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Cream butter and sugar; add water and vanilla; mix all well. Add flour and pecans. Chill dough, well wrapped for 3-4 hours.

Shape into balls, finger shape, or crescents.

Bake on parchment lined baking sheets for 20 minutes at 325 F. Roll while still warm in powdered sugar.

Makes about 5 dozen.

This is one people ask me to make, super simple and very tasty, especially over time (kind of like tomato dishes, better the next day!).

Neiman Marcus bars
1 yellow cake mix
1 stick of butter
1 egg
1 c. chopped nuts
Pat into greased and floured 9 x 13 inch cake pan. Mix:

3 eggs
8 oz softened cream cheese
16 oz powdered sugar
Pour over cake mix and ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

I would think that any kind of a small two bite cookie would be good. I love shortbread, but these are on my list to make this year. Coffee plus coffee, it's all good, LOL, and you could probably leave the kahlua out and replace it with cream or coffee, something similar...

Mocha Thumbprints

Ingredients
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon freeze-dried coffee crystals
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 tablespoon coffee flavored liquer (such as Kahlua)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk flour, coffee crystals and salt. Set aside.

2. In a second bowl, beat together 1/2 cup of the butter, sugar and egg until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in flour mixture until just combined. Knead in bowl if necessary to bring dough together.

3. Form dough into balls, using about 2 teaspoons each. Place on unerased baking sheets and make an indentation in the center of each with thumb.

4. Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes until set. Press down indentations if needed. Remove from baking sheets to wire rack and let cool.

5. In a microwave-safe bowl, add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, chocolate chips and corn syrup. Microwave on HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes; stir until smooth. Stir in liqueur and vanilla. Let cool slightly. Place in a resealable plastic food storage bag and snip off a small corner. Fill indentation of each cookie with chocolate. Let cookies set up at room temperature.

Annie

These are small, easy to eat, and addictive.
Unless you don't like pecans.
And also really quick and easy to make.
The texture is not really that of a pecan pie,
But the flavor is.
Nor is the texture that of a muffin.
I know of no way to actually test for doneness,
Just rely on the baking time.

"Pecan Pie" Mini Muffins

1 C packed dark brown sugar
1/2 C flour
1 1/4 C chopped pecans
2/3 C butter (no substitutes!),
melted & slightly cooled
2 eggs, beaten

In one bowl, combine brown sugar, flour & pecans.
In another, beat together the eggs and melted butter.
Fill greased mini muffin cups to the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min.
Remove immediately to rack or paper towel.

Rusty

Small, savory cheese muffins. I will go for those every time over a dessert. Even with coffee.
I like cornmeal, cheddar, onion and bacon muffins.