NPR News

Nut Cups

NPR

Published June 12, 2007 at 7:07 PM EDT

The dough for these nut cups includes cream cheese, which half the women I know living in Pittsburgh claim is their own "special ingredient."

Makes about 3 dozen

Filling

2 medium eggs, well beaten

1/4 stick of butter (2 tablespoons)

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cup Dough

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For Filling

With an electric mixer, combine ingredients. Mixture will be thick and sticky, but moist.

For Dough

With an electric mixer, cream butter and cream cheese. Add flour gradually and mix until incorporated. Roll dough into 1 ½-inch balls and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, until dough is firm.

Meanwhile, take out min-muffin pans. They will be ungreased. Preheat oven to 350.

Place a dough ball in each mini-muffin cup and shape into a cup with your thumb.

Fill the unbaked dough cups with the nut mixture. Bake about 25 minutes until dough is golden brown and nut-filling is not sticky to the touch.