Eat This: Bluegrass Chocolate Tarts

Just in time for the Run for the Roses!  You know that this is an old recipe, because it calls for 3-ounce packages of cream cheese.  When was the last time you saw THOSE?  I guess these days you just buy two 8-ounce packages and reserve 7 ounces out of one for another use.  Or, you could buy nine packages and double the recipe four times, leaving no cream cheese behind.  That's if you have a use for fifty six dozen tarts.  They do freeze well.  But that's still a lot of tarts.  So just buy two packages - and some bagels.

BLUEGRASS CHOCOLATE TARTS

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. all purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2 T bourbon
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1 cup chopped pecans
Tart Shells (recipe follows)

Cream butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer; add eggs, mixing well. Add flour, salt and bourbon, stirring until blended. Stir in chocolate morsels and pecans. Spoon mixture into Tart Shells, filling each shell 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Yield:  72 tarts.

To make Tart Shells, combine 3 cups all-purpose flour, 3 (3-oz.) package cream cheese and 1 1/4 cups butter (softening cream cheese and butter before using).  Stir until blended, and shape dough into 72 balls.  Chill in refrigerator on cookie sheet.  Place balls in greased miniature muffin tins, flattening each ball to conform to the cups of the muffin tin.  Fill shells as directed above.