Pecan Pie Muffins

I love the idea of pecan pie. Rich, buttery pecans resting in a sweet, syrupy cloud-- what's there not to love? Well, except the pie part, that is. I hate pie, specifically pie crust, for no other reason than I've always hated it, and no attempts to re-train my taste buds have worked. So while I love the idea of pecan pie, because I so love pecans, I have never actually eaten it. And I knew that madness had to stop. Enter pecan pie muffins.

When I needed a quick and easy recipe to whip up for my mom's volunteer group, I turned to this recipe. Almost unbelievably, these delicious muffins require only five, basic ingredients and less than ten minutes of prep work. These are not the most beautiful muffins in the world, and didn't photograph well at all, but I improved their presentation by placing each muffin in an individual sandwich baggie (in case volunteers wanted to take them home instead of eating them on the spot) and showcasing them in a nice basket. No complaints at all about how they looked. People were too busy raving about how they tasted!

PECAN PIE MUFFINS

• 1 c packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 c chopped pecans
• 2/3 c butter, very soft (preferably left out over night)
• 2 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In large mixing bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, and pecans. Set aside.

3. In medium mixing bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in butter, about one tablespoon at a time, mixing well between each addition. The butter needs to be as soft as butter can be without being melted. Otherwise, combining it with the eggs will be quite a chore. If done correctly, the egg/butter mixture will look a bit like scrambled eggs.

4. Pour the egg/butter mixture into the pecan mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir until combined. Make sure to smooth out any remaining butter lumps. Pour batter into greased muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full. Each batch should yield about 10 muffins using a standard muffin pan.

5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow muffins to remain in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

Source: Tasty Kitchen