Pecan Pie ~ A Treat for Thanksgiving & My for Birthday!

Today to help me celebrate my Birthday my sweet friend +Joanne T Ferguson has whipped up a special treat just for you and me!

Thanks so much for making my FAVOURITE pie and for sharing your Pecan Pie recipe in this fabulous guest post.

It's over to you Joanne!

Sometimes Celebrations Are All About Pecan Pie,

would you agree?

First of all, I'd like to thank my friend and fellow co-host of our Say G'day Weekly Party Natasha from Natasha in Oz. This is a wonderful opportunity and one I am “humbled and gracious” to do! How Natasha and I met, can only be described as "food fate!" I immediately loved Natasha's blogging philosophy as her blog is about "creating a relaxed home full of love, music, comfort, grace, good food, and beauty." I love how Natasha "embraces family and friends" and makes them "feel special and loved when they visit." My name is Joanne aka Joanna aka mickeydownunder aka FANG and I am American born and bred (New York), now an Aussie who calls Australia home since 1997. As a PASSIONATE Home Cook, I try and “inspire” people one recipe and one event at a time! My food blog is called What’s On The List?

I have my fingers in “many” pies (pun intended) throughout the world as food PASSIONATELY E-X-C-I-T-E-S me! For those who may not be familiar with What’s On The List, my blog is about fun-filled food adventures and sharing my experiences through “unique eyes” and I STILL S-Q-U-E-A-L like a child of five! Let's get on with Joanna's Healthier Mini Pecan Pies as adapted from Amy aka Ms. Toody Goo Shoes' Mini Pecan Pie Cups -An Easy Thanksgiving Dessert, okay?

Thanksgiving is still a very big holiday for me; right up there with celebrating I'm still alive every year for my end of January birthday! When I was little, Thanksgiving was all about traditions, family and friends! The nostalgic memories never ends! While it is about the turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, it was always about "non-stop eating" ALL DAY through every course!

Let's not forget the sausage stuffing, roast pumpkin, potatoes, creamed onions and carrots too! I am "whipping myself into a frenzy," just thinking about those times long ago! Honestly, (and am sure ALL Americans will laugh when reading this) no matter HOW full one ever was, one always has room for Pecan Pie! I can still vividly remember one year for Thanksgiving our family was invited over Princess Svetlana's ( a pseudonym for my real life childhood friend who I am still in touch with today) house for dessert. Probably one of the reasons I remember it, is I was still little and there were 12 pies and cakes on a table awaiting me. I DID mention our family had already eaten Thanksgiving dinner and no, we did not walk to nor from Princess Svetlana's house that night. While I won't name all 12, you can only imagine HOW I S-Q-U-E-A-L-E-D with delight at Pumpkin Pie made with canned Libby's Pumpkin Pie Mix (it's an American "thang!"), New York Cheese Cake, my Mum's Special Spice Cake...sends tingles down my spine JUST thinking of! Needless to say, I HAD to try all 12. By then, I was REALLY full! lol

For those unfamiliar with Thanksgiving, loosely explained, it is about when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in the United States in 1621 and when they encountered the Indians, they exchanged "trinkets and beads" ; hence "The First Thanksgiving" after the first harvest in the New World begun! Today, the more practical way of celebrating Thanksgiving in my opinion, is to simply "be thankful for all those people and things there are to be thankful for!" My dad and I always said whatever we wanted to say to each other every time we met as we never knew when it would be the last time each other we would see! We did this our entire life and I still follow dad's philosophy. People worldwide seem to have it in their minds that only old, sick and chronically ill people die....SIGH.

So today being Natasha's birthday, I am thankful to Natasha for asking me to do a guest post on her blog, I am thankful to her readers in advance who will be reading, commenting and sharing this post (hopefully) and most importantly, I am thankful for Joanna's Healthier Mini Pecan Pies made with xylitol!

Thanksgiving-birthday-sugarless-pecan-pie-whatsonthelist

Little did I know when Natasha asked me to do a guest post, today would be her birthday!

Birthdays to me are "THE BIGGEST" celebrations of all, and I don't care if I live til 102, every year I celebrate am still alive!

My parents suggested IF I lived until 21, I should bend down and kiss the ground I was still walking on and every year I do! Life's too short not to enjoy!

Let's get onto the recipe, eh?

Joanna's Healthier Mini Pecan Pies

Recipe Type: Baking

Author: Joanne T Ferguson

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 20 mini bites

Ingredients

For the crust

1/2 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup self-rising flour, sifted (see Notes)
Oil spray

For the filling

1/2 cup Naturally Sweet Xylitol
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup canned pumpkin (Libby's)
1 egg yolk
4 teaspoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon rum (optional but recommended)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder
1/4 teaspoon all spice

For the topping

1/2 cup pecans, coarsely ground
1/4 cup Naturally Sweet Xylitol
1 tablspoon butter, melted

Instructions

In a stand up mixer, add 1/2 cup butter, cream cheese; combine well.
Slowly add in sifted flour until well combined.
Prepare mini muffin baking tin.
Divide dough evenly into mini muffin tin. (See Notes) balls about the size of small meatballs.
Press dough evenly into the cups and with a fork, poke small holes in bottom of the cups. (See Notes)
Pre-heat over to 190C.
Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
In a stand up mixer or large bowl, combine filling ingredients until well combined.
Spoon mixture into pre baked cups.
In a small bowl, combine pecans, xylitol (if using; otherwise sugar) and remaining butter; sprinkle over filling mixture.
Bake for about 20 minutes and or until top is brown.
Cool in baking tin for 10 minutes.
ENJOY!

Notes

Original recipe by Amy aka Ms. Toody Goo Shoes' Mini Pecan Pie Cups -An Easy Thanksgiving Dessert.
Feel free to substitute xylitol for sugar; adjusting spices for personal taste if using sugar.
Feel free to use all-purpose flour.
Original recipe made 24; mine made 20 comfortably.
After pressing the dough into cups, using your thumb, create a small well for filling.

Hands up, who would like one or two of these right now?

Thank you once again to Natasha and Happy Birthday! What are YOU thankful for today? All comments, shares and PINS will make Natasha's day; seeing it is her birthday! It would be something I would be thankful for. Cheers!
Joanne What's On The List

Joanne T Ferguson, What's On The List http://whatsonthelist.net

Twitter = @mickeydownunder

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Thank you SO much for this delicious treat Joanne and for putting this fabulous post together. I truly appreciate it! If you would like to share a favourite recipe, craft project DIY or tutorial in the form of a guest post here at Natasha in Oz please let me know!

Thanks to you, dear friends, for dropping by to say g'day today. I hope you have a great day and please be sure to drop by and say g'day to Joanne!

If you haven't joined in with this week's Say G'Day Linky Party yet please just click the Say G'Day Party button and share your latest and greatest blog posts!