Pine Nut Tassies

Directions

1. 1
   Follow recipe for basic butter cookies to make dough, then divide dough in half.
2. 2
   Divide 1 half (keep remaining dough chilled, covered) into 24 pieces (about 1 1/2 teaspoons each) and form into 1-inch balls.
3. 3
   Press each ball evenly onto bottom and up side of an ungreased mini-muffin cup to form a pastry shell (use a piece of plastic wrap to prevent dough from sticking to your fingers).
4. 4
   Chill until ready to fill.
5. 5
   Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375F.
6. 6
   Whisk together brown sugar, butter, egg, vanilla, and salt until blended, then stir in pine nuts.
7. 7
   Fill each pastry shell with about 2 teaspoons filling.
8. 8
   Bake tassies until filling is bubbling and pastry is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
9. 9
   Run a sharp thin knife around edge of each pastry, then transfer pan (with cookies) to a rack to cool 10 minutes.
10. 10
    Remove tassies from pans and transfer to rack to cool completely.
11. 11
    Make more tassies with remaining dough and filling.