Tiny Holiday Tarts

3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 pound butter, softened
1 cup flour
1/3 cup raspberry preserves
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup almond paste, crumbled
In an electric mixer, cream cheese and butter until fluffy, add flour. Mix just until blended. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or overnight.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Press ball into a greased mini muffin pan or you can also use the mini muffin paper cups in the muffin pans instead. Divide the preserves among the pastries (about 1/2 tsp. in each.)

Beat together the egg, sugar, and almond paste. Spoon 1 level teaspoon of the almond mixture over the preserves in each pastry.

Bake at 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges begin to brown.

Remove pan from the oven. Cool in slightly pan on a wire rack, then remove from pan to continue cooling. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 2 dozen

Butter or Cheese Kuchen

Recipe makes 2 9" kuchens.

Kuchen:
1/2 c. milk
4 Tbls. butter
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 pkg. yeast
1/4 c. warm water
2 eggs
3 1/2 c. flour


Butter Topping:
1 stick butter, (1/2 c.) softened
1 c. sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. chopped pecans (optional)

Cheese Topping:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon


Mix together milk, butter, sugar and salt. Dissolve yeast in the warm water. Add yeast mixture to the milk mixture. Beat in eggs and then beat in flour.

Cover and put in a warm place for one to 1 1/2 hours. Turn out on a floured board and roll to fit a large greased cookie sheet or two greased 9" cake pans. Pinch the edges to form sides.

Put in a warm place again for 45 minutes to one hour. Meanwhile, choose either topping. Mix the topping ingredients well and pour on crust after the second rising. Bake at 350 degrees fro 25 to 30 minutes