Almond Mini Tarts

A friend of mine forwarded me a recipe for pecan pie tarts. It looked rather bland, but  a good starting point. After a few tweaks and substitutions, I came up with the recipe below. The almonds provide crunch, the edges are a little crisp, and the browned butter provides a great toasty flavor. This makes 18 tarts.

Ingredients

3/4 c.  almonds
1 stick of butter 
1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 c. packed light brown,sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
Dash cinnamon

Directions

1. Grease 2 mini muffin tins. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Toast the almonds in  a dry skillet over medium heat until they are light brown and you can smell them. Remove from heat and place in a medium sized bowl. 
3. Melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter begins to brown and has a nutty aroma. Let cool slightly, then add to bowl with the almonds. 
4. Stir in the flour, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and cinnamon into the almond-butter mixture until combined.
5. Add to muffin tins, filling each cup about 3/4 of the way full. 
6. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. 
7. Let cool 15-20 minutes, and enjoy!

Orange Creamsicle in a Glass

Ingredients:

1 c. Sierra Mist soda
2 shots Pinnacle Whipped vodka
1 shot orange juice

Directions:

Mix ingredients in a glass with ice. Enjoy!