Layered Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

Pecan pie…so Thanksgiving! This year my family is doing a low-key Thanksgiving because we have tickets to the Texas vs. TCU game in Austin. So instead of doing a fancy pecan pie from scratch, I opted for a pecan pie dessert. This has a yummy layer of chocolate pecan goodness in between to give a little bit of a surprise.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Layered Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

Yields one 13″ x 9″ pan

Ingredients for the crust and chocolate layers:

• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 cup granulated white sugar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1 ounce Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
• 3/8 cup (or 1/4 cup & 2 tablespoons) shortening
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Ingredients for the pecan pie layer:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups pecans, chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F, and prepare the 13″ x 9″ pan with parchment paper and spray all over with nonstick spray.

In a food processor, place 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of white sugar, and the salt.  Pulse together until all is combined well. Next, add the cold pieces of butter, and pulse until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Dump the crust mixture in the prepared pan, and press firmly on the bottom.

Place the chocolate chips and the shortening in a microwave safe bowl. Place in the microwave at 50% power for 1-1.5 minutes. Stir together to get rid of most of the lumps. Add in 1/2 cup white sugar, pecans, 1/2 cup flour, eggs, and the vanilla. Mix until all is combined. Dump this chocolate mixture over the crust, and press firmly as a layer on top. Take a fork and stab the layer all over. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.

While the crust and chocolate layer are in the oven, work on the pecan pie top. In a small sauce pan over medium-high heat, place the brown sugar, white sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Stir occasionally, and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it hits boiling, turn off the heat and remove from the burner.

In a medium bowl, whisk the 4 eggs together. Add about 1 cup of the hot sugar mixture while continually whisking. (I don’t have photos of this because I unfortunately only have 2 hands.) Once well combined, add the remainder of the hot sugar mixture.

Dump in the pecans and vanilla extract. Stir until everything is well combined.

Pour the pecan pie mixture into the pan, and place in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven, and allow the pan to completely cool before cutting.

Enjoy!!

“Harry: Repeat after me. Pepper.
Sally: Pepper.
Harry: Pepper.
Sally: Pepper.
Harry: Waiter, there is too much pepper on my paprikash.
Sally: Waiter, there is too much pepper on my paprikash.
Harry: But I would be proud to partake of your pecan pie.
Sally: But I would be proud to partake of your pecan pie.
Harry: Pecan piiiiie.
Sally: Pecan piiiiie.”
– When Harry Met Sally

Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Cookies

Have you tried the raspberry cheesecake cookies at Subway yet? They are delicious. The idea of a cheesecake flavored cookie instantly intrigued me. After doing a few iterations and some research, this is the recipe I landed on. Happy nomming!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Cookies

Yields about 30-36 cookies

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 4 ounces (half of one brick) cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 large eggs
• 2 (7 ounces) packages blueberry muffin mix (I used Jiffy.)
• 1.5 cups white chocolate chips

Directions:

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the butter, shortening, and brown sugar.  Beat together until all is combined smoothly.

Add the cream cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix until just combined (some pieces of cream cheese are fine).

Next, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Remove the bowl from the stand, and dump in the two bags of muffin mix. Stir until everything is just incorporated. Add the chocolate , and stir.

Place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.

Once the time has elapsed, preheat oven to 325°F, and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a tablespoon cookie scoop or roll dough into tablespoon-size balls with your hands. Place on the lined baking sheets about 2-inches apart.

Place them in the oven for  for 12-15 minutes or just until just turning golden brown around the edges. (I found that if I placed my baking sheet on the bottom rack, the cookies rose more in the oven.)

Remove from the oven, and allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before moving to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat until all of the dough has been used. I also found it helpful to place the dough in the refrigerator while baking cookies to keep the dough firm.

Eat immediately or share if you are a sweet person!

Enjoy!!

“Life is uncertain.  Eat dessert first.”
– Ernestine Ulmer

Soft Cinnamon Apple Cookies

Umm. These were quite the accident. I was playing around with the idea of cheesecake cookies (more to come on that later). I love apple pies, but unfortunately my body doesn’t. Whenever I have apples, my mouth gets all itchy and uncomfortable. So whenever I can make something in a cinnamon apple flavor, I do it! Plus, I have been eyeing those interesting little cinnamon chips in the baking aisle, and this was a PERFECT place for them. This also happens to be the ideal time to make this autumn delight since the holidays are coming up!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Soft Cinnamon Apple Cookies

Yields about 28-36 cookies

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces (half of one brick) cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 (7 ounces) packages apple cinnamon muffin mix (I used Jiffy.)
• 1.5 cups cinnamon chips (I used Hershey’s; they are found in the baking aisle along with the other chocolate chips.)

Directions:

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the cream cheese, butter, shortening, and brown sugar.  Beat together until all is combined smoothly.

Next, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Remove the bowl from the stand, and dump in the two bags of muffin mix. Stir until everything is just incorporated. Add the cinnamon chips, and stir.

Place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.

Once the time has elapsed, preheat oven to 325°F, and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a tablespoon cookie scoop or roll dough into tablespoon-size balls with your hands. Place on the lined baking sheets about 2-inches apart.

Place them in the oven for  for 12-14 minutes or just until just turning golden brown around the edges. (I found that if I placed my baking sheet on the bottom rack, the cookies rose more in the oven.)

Remove from the oven, and allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before moving to wire racks to cool completely. (Since I was packing these for travel, I let it sit on some wax paper on our kitchen island before I moved it to a sealable container.) Repeat until all of the dough has been used. I also found it helpful to place the dough in the refrigerator while baking cookies to keep the dough firm.

Serve with milk or warm apple cider in these cooler fall months!

Enjoy!!

“Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap.”
– Barbara Jordan

Double Berry Muffins

Ahhh muffins…I had some strawberries and raspberries that were going to go bad soon. So how did I use them up? Muffins for breakfast! This way I could bring it to work and snack on something other than chips!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Double Berry Muffins

Yields 48 mini muffins, 24 standard muffins, or 12 jumbo muffins

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 cup strawberries, diced
• 1 cup raspberries, halved

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF, and your muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Next, add in the wet ingredients:  eggs, oil, vanilla, and orange zest. Dump in the berries and stir until combined throughout.

Place the batter in the prepared muffin pans. (I might have gotten a little to ambitious and over filled my muffin wells. 🙂) Place in the oven and bake. Mini muffin pans should take about 15-20 minutes. Standard muffin pans should take about 30-35 minutes. Jumbo muffins should take 45-50 minutes.

Once time has elapsed, remove the pans from the oven. Allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from pan.

Serve for breakfast, dessert, or as a snack!

Enjoy!!

“You don’t get tired of muffins, but you don’t find inspiration in them.” – George Bernard Shaw

Vodka Drunk Gummy Bears

This experiment was about creating an adult snack from a childhood favorite. I had heard about these from my sister and brother-in-law. So why not take a stab at it? The gummy bears grow with the vodka and patience!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Vodka Drunk Gummy Bears

Yields one 13″x9″ pan

Ingredients:

• 5 (about 5.29 ounces) bags gummy bears
• 1 (750 mL) bottle of vodka (We used nearly all of this and had a few shots left at the bottom of the bottle that we enjoyed ourselves sans gummies!)

Directions:

Open the bags of gummy bears and dump them into a 13″x9″ glass pan with a cover. Pour the vodka over them to make sure they are all touching some vodka. (You don’t have to drown them in vodka. The idea of this is slow and steady!)

Mix the gummies with your hands or a spoon so that all the bears are covered. Cover the pan and place them in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, remove the pan from the fridge for a good 15 minutes before handling them (if not they will be super cold). Use your hands and massage the gummy bears apart. (They will be bigger than the night before.) If all of the vodka has been soaked up, add more and toss as you did the day before. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight again.

We repeated this process of adding vodka for an additional night. Before we took this treat to a friend’s party, we let the massaged gummy bears come to room temperature.

We served them in little plastic cups. Enjoy the cute little gummy bear shots! **And remember to keep these out of reach of children NOT of age!**

Enjoy!!

“Happiness is finding half a bag of gummy bears in the bottom of your purse.” – Unknown

Samoa Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting

Samoas (or Caramel deLites) are my favorite Girl Scout cookie. Unfortunately I did not get a chance to purchase any this year. In lieu of them, I decided to create cupcakes inspired by them!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Samoa Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting

Yields 12 cupcakes

Ingredients for the cupcakes:

• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 3/4 cup caramel sauce

Ingredients for the frosting:

• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel (can substitute sea salt)
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
• 2-4 ounces chocolate bark coating, optional

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and place cupcake liners in a standard 12-muffin pan. Line a small baking sheet with foil.

In a large bowl, place the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and baking soda. Mix together with a whisk or the paddle attachment on your stand mixer. Next add the oil, water, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix until well blended.

Divide the batter evenly in the lined muffin wells. (I filled mine 3/4ths full to use as much of the batter as I could. I hate to waste!) Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

While the cupcakes are in the oven, spread the sweetened coconut flakes on the prepared baking sheet. Place it in the oven for the last 7-8 minutes of baking time of the cupcakes.

Remove the cupcakes and coconut flakes from the oven. Allow the cupcakes to cool entirely.

Place the toasted coconut flakes in a small bowl with the caramel sauce. Mix well.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, Cut a small cone-sized piece out of the tops of each cooled cupcake, and add the caramel-coconut sauce in it’s place.

(I like to reserve the cut out pieces for the left over caramel sauce and frosting. I smash all of it together, roll out balls, and dip them in chocolate to create Samoa Cake Balls! See cake ball insides below. For this: place mixture in refrigerator for 30 minutes, roll into balls, place in freezer for another 20 minutes, and then dip the balls in chocolate.)

Finally start on the frosting. Place the sugar and water in a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Once it starts boiling, do not touch until you get to a deep amber color, about 10 minutes.  (Make sure you have a watchful eye. It can go from amber to burnt in a matter of seconds.)

Remove the pan from heat, and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until very smooth.  Allow caramel cool for about 20 minutes, until it is just barely warm and still pourable.

In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add butters and fleur de sel. Mix together until lightened and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and add confectioners’ sugar in increments.  Mix until thoroughly combined.

Add the caramel sauce, and beat on medium high speed until light and fluffy, and completely mixed, about 2 minutes.

Frost the cupcakes.

Optionally, you can melt the chocolate bark coating in a microwave safe bag in 30 second increments at 50% power microwave session, until it is all melted and squeezing in between to check how much chocolate still needs to melt. (I used my plastic piping bags sitting in a microwave safe mug.) Snip the corner of your plastic bag, and drizzle the frosted cupcakes with the chocolate.

Serve with a tall glass of milk!

Enjoy!!

“Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.” – The Girl Scout Mission

Mini Rhubarb Strawberry Pies

Pi Day! I made pies for March 14th (π or 3.14) this year. The nerdy heart in me squealed for joy for a mathematic reason to bake. If I have not mentioned it before, I will mention it now: I LOVE rhubarb and strawberry ANYTHING! These pies were the perfect dessert to end pi day with a smile.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Mini Rhubarb Strawberry Pies

Yields 6 Mini Pies

Ingredients for the pie crust:

• 10 tablespoons (1.25 sticks) unsalted butter, diced and very cold
• 1.5 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2.5 tablespoons shortening
• 1/4 cup water + 1 tablespoon, ice cold
• 1 large egg

Ingredients for the filling:

• 2/3 cup rhubarb, diced
• 1/3 cup strawberries, diced
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon corn starch
• 1/4 teaspoon orange zest*
• 1 tablespoon orange juice*
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg

*For the orange zest and juice, I actually just used the zest from a clementine and juiced the entire thing.

Directions:

First take the butter out of the refrigerator and dice it into small squares. (I usually dice each tablespoon into 4 cubes each.) Once the butter is diced, store in the freezer until you need it.

Place the flour, sugar, and salt into a food processor. Pulse it a few times to combine all the ingredients. Next, add the shortening and butter from the freezer. Pulse until the mixture looks like a coarse meal.

Add the 1/4 cup ice cold water one tablespoon at a time through the feed tube of the food processor until the dough comes together. (You want the dough to adhere to itself but not be sticky.)

Turn the dough out to a floured surface, and give it a quick knead until it comes together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge for at least an hour.

While the dough is chilling, work on the filling. In a small bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, corn starch, orange zest, orange juice, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix ingredients until well combined well. Set aside for later.

Once you have chilled the dough, preheat oven to 350°F, and spray the middle of a standard muffin pan (6 wells) with nonstick cooking spray.

Pull the dough out of the fridge. Roll out pie crust on a well-floured surface or board with a lightly floured rolling pin to about 1/4″ to 1/2″ thickness. Dust off excess flour. With a round cookie cutter or drinking glass, cut 3 to 4-inch diameter circles out of each pie crust. Place each circle into the prepared muffin well.

Push it up the sides of the well to make sure all of it is covered. Reserve extra dough for the top crusts. You can either re-roll the dough and cut more circles to top them off or lattice the crust. (As you will see, I prefer the lattice top.) Just be sure to cut slits in the top of the crust if you cover it completely.

Evenly distribute the filling into each of the 6 muffin wells, and then top with the chosen crusts.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon of water and egg. Brush the tops of the pies with this egg wash.

Place the pan into the oven, and bake for 30 minutes. Be sure to check the pies around 20 minutes to see if the tops are over browning. If they are, you can tent some foil over them to keep them from burning. Once baked, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes until you remove them from the pan.

Serve alone, with whipped cream, or with ice cream!

Enjoy!!

“The man for me is the cherry on the pie. But I’m the pie and my pie is good all by itself. Even if I don’t have a cherry.” – Halle Berry

PB Toffee Pretzel Truffles

Sweetness, saltiness, and richness in one bite. These peanut butter toffee pretzel truffles are the perfect combination of these tastes rolled into a bite sized piece.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

PB Toffee Pretzel Truffles

Yields 12-15 Truffles

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup toffee bits (I used Heath)
• 1/2 cup pretzel sticks, crushed
• 8-10 ounces chocolate bark coating

Directions:

In a large bowl, add the butter and peanut butter. Use your stand mixer or hand mixer and cream the two ingredients together. Add the sugar, toffee, and pretzel pieces, and mix well.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the peanut butter mixture into 1-inch balls, and place them on the lined baking sheet. (I like to spray my hands with a little nonstick spray first so that the peanut butter does not stick to them.) Cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze for 20 minutes or until firm.

In a small microwave-proof bowl, place the chocolate bark coating pieces. Melt it in 30 second increments at 50% power until it is all melted and mixing in between the microwave heating sessions.

Remove the firm peanut butter balls from the freezer. Drop the balls, one at a time, into the chocolate. With two forks or two spoons, make sure the balls are fully covered. Place them on a piece of parchment paper to dry, harden, and come to room temperature.

Store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them.

Enjoy!!

“I got to thinking about relationship and partial lobotomies. Two seemingly different ideas that might just be perfect together–like chocolate and peanut butter.” – Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City

Cinnamon Croissant Bread Pudding with a Bourbon Sauce

We had the privilege of having a croissant bread pudding at a fancy dinner enjoyed in San Antonio, TX during an extended weekend getaway. Since then, I have been meaning to make it. Valentine’s Day seemed like the perfect time since my husband LOVES any type of bread pudding. This is my version of the delicious dessert we enjoyed!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Cinnamon Croissant Bread Pudding with a Bourbon Sauce

4-6 Servings

Ingredients for the custard:

• 8 large eggs
• 1.25 cups heavy cream
• 1.25 cups whole milk
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for the croissants:

• 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
• 6 large croissants (usually located in the bakery area of the grocery store)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Ingredients for the bourbon sauce:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup bourbon (I used Wild Turkey)
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• powdered sugar, for garnish (optional)
• fresh berries, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Place the eggs in a large bowl and whisk until combined well. (I used my stand mixer with the whisk attachment for convenience.) Add all the rest of the ingredients to the mixing bowl, and whisk together until the mixture is smooth. Set custard in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

Preheat oven to 350°F, and cover a large baking sheet with foil. In a small bowl, mix the 1/3 cup sugar with 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon. Set both the baking sheet and cinnamon-sugar mixture aside for later.

Brush some melted butter on the sides and bottom of a 8” x 8” baking pan. Set aside for later.

Cut the croissants open (as if you were making a sandwich), and place them on the prepared baking sheet cut side up. Generously brush cut sides with melted butter, and sprinkle the buttered sides with the reserved cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown. Removed from oven and cool, about 5 minutes.

Layer croissants in the buttered 8″x8″ baking pan with the cut sides up. (You should have 3 layers of croissants.)

Remove the custard out of the fridge and pour it over the croissants. Cover pan with a lid or foil and place it in the refrigerator overnight.

Once you are ready to bake the bread pudding, remove the 8″x8″ pan from the fridge, and preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the pan pan in a water bath and bake for 2-2.5 hours, until custard is firm and contents do not jiggle. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

While you wait for the bread pudding to bake, you can make the bourbon sauce. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter and add the brown sugar. Stir this mixture until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool until warm to touch. When waiting for the butter and sugar to cool, whisk together the heavy cream, bourbon, egg, cinnamon, and nutmeg (I just used my measuring cup since it was big enough and has a spout.). Once the butter and brown sugar mixture has cooled, pour the cream mixture into the sauce pan. Whisk until the ingredients are combined thoroughly.

Cut the bread pudding in individual square servings, and serve warm. Top with the bourbon sauce, and garnish with powdered sugar and an assortment of fresh berries.

Enjoy!!

“The proof of the pudding is the eating.” – Don Quixote

Baby Baklava Cheesecakes

Baklava + Cheesecake = AMAZING! This recipe puts these two favorite desserts together. They are even baby sized to make it easier to serve. I hope you love this combo of flavors as much as I do!

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Baby Baklava Cheesecakes

Yields 12-18 baby cheesecakes

Ingredients for the cheesecake:

• 16 ounces (2 blocks) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs

Ingredients for the baklava:

• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, divided
• 1 package fillo dough, thawed
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon brandy

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F, and spray the a muffin pan (12 count, standard size) with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, place the cream cheese and honey. Using a hand mixer or paddle attachment, beat until smooth. Next add the orange zest,  lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.

Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well after the addition. Set the cheesecake mixture aside for assembly.

Next start on the baklava. Place walnuts, white sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg in the bowl of a mini food processor. Pulse until finely chopped and incorporated. Set nut mixture aside for assembly.

Unroll the filo dough onto a clean, flat surface, and cover the dough with a lightly damp towel.

Take 1 sheet of the filo dough, and brush 1/2 of the sheet with the melted butter. Fold un-buttered half on top of the buttered half, and brush with butter. Next, sprinkle with 1 – 2 tablespoons (estimations are fine! go with it!) of the nut mixture. Cover it with another sheet of filo with the excess dough out to the left. Brush the half that is on top of the first sheet with butter. Fold the extended half over the top, and spread with more butter.

Take the layers, and fit into a muffin hole in the prepared pan.

Spoon about 1/3 cup of the cheesecake mixture into the center, and gently fold the corners of the filo over the top. (I used an ice cream scoop for the cheesecake filling.) Brush the folded top with butter.

Repeat with the remaining filo dough, nut mixture, cheesecake mixture, and butter until everything is used.

Place the muffin pan in the oven, and bake for 30 minutes or until the tops are golden.

While the cheesecakes are in the oven, work on the syrup topping. Place the remaining 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, honey, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Place this pan over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Add the brandy, reduce heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Once the cheesecakes have baked, remove from oven. Brush cheesecakes with honey syrup immediately, and set aside to cool.

Enjoy!!

“Hello ladies, fresh baklava!”
– Nick Portokalos, My Big Fat Greek Wedding