My mother Virginia L. Pro's children and grandchildren are convinced that it wouldn't be Christmas without the Chess Tarts. There never seems to be enough.
Dough:
6 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese
1/2 pound butter or margarine
2 cups flour
Cream together the cheese and margarine (do not use spread). Using your hands, mix the flour to a pie-dough like consistency. Begin tearing little chunks of dough and rolling them into balls about the size of a quarter. Place the balls in ungreased tart pans, and, using your thumb, press down to line the pans.
Filling:
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
In a medium-sized bowl, mix all ingredients together with a fork. Using a measuring teaspoon, fill each tart almost halfway. Do not overfill because the nuts will swell. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from pans when cool.
Makes 48 cookies
-- From Johnna Pro, PG staff writer
Originally published on Sunday, December 13, 1998
