Holiday Recipe Spectacular - Desserts - Pecan Pie Tarts

Yes, Trina's pecan pie recipe is a winner!  But I wanted to propose an alternate option.  No longer will your guests feel the need to take on a whole slice of pecan pie.  Let's be real, this will allow everyone to say they only want one...then feel free to indulge in another by popping one in their mouth while nobody is watching.  These individual mini pecan pies are decadent and easy to bake!

Pecan Pie Tarts


1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie (or Pillsbury pie crust)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
5 tablespoons dark corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
cool whip

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease 8 3-inch tart tins.
2. Roll out pastry and cut 8 5-inch circles (I use a shot glass for perfect circles). Fit pastry circles into greased tart tins.
3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, butter or margarine, corn syrup, and vanilla extract. Mix well, then stir in pecans. Pour an equal amount of mixture into each pastry-lined tart tin.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until pastry is golden brown and filling is set.  Top with cool whip.

Original Recipe
Photo Credit

Holiday Recipe Spectacular - Appetizer - Wasabi-Ginger Crusted Scallops

This could be one of my husband's favorites...if I ever made it for him instead of always making for dinner parties!  The guy is mad about sea scallops.  If you can pull off this delicious, flavorful hors d'ouever-you will score points with many.  Isn't that what holiday parties are all about, after all? ;)

Wasabi Crusted Scallops
12 large sea scallops
1 teaspoon ginger, fresh minced
1 tablespoon wasabi paste
1 garlic cloves, fresh minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup short-grain rice, cooked and seasoned
2 tablespoons sesame oil

Pineapple-Mango Salsa
1 cup pineapple, fresh diced
1 cup mangoes, fresh diced
1/3 cup cilantro, fresh chopped
3/4 cup red onions, finely diced
3 tablespoons lime juice, fresh squeezed
1 tablespoon orange juice, fresh squeezed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
Stir together all of the salsa ingredients in a large bowl. Place 1/4 cup rice in center of 4 plates using a custard cup or any other method of shaping the rice mold. Place 1/4 of the salsa mixture around the rice on each plate. Mix together ginger, wasabi paste, garlic, olive oil, and salt in another bowl. Heat a large saute pan to medium-high heat with some olive oil.