Puddle Jumping and Mud Pies

What could be more fun than puddle jumping and mud pies?  

My 16 month old great niece enjoying puddle jumping.   

Well the answer is Fudge Puddles and Miniature Pies.  One of my favorite cookie recipes is from my mother in law.  She called it an Italian Fudge Roll.  I just switched it up a little and turned it into a small tart and call it Fudge Puddles. 

My mother-in-laws recipe suggested making the dough, rolling it out into a rectangle shape and then form the filling onto 1/3 of rectangle and roll it as you would a sausage roll.   Then bake it off and slice it into cookies.   

I however, prefer to press the dough into my mini muffin cups and then fill with the fudge filling.  I also like to use this dough recipe and fill it with other fillings.   As you can see in the photo below I made both Fudge Puddles and then using the same dough filled them with apple pie filling and topped with a streusel topping.

Mini Apple Pie Tarts and Fudge Puddles

Fudge Puddles

Dough
2 sticks of butter
1 8-ounce package cream cheese softened
2 cups flour
Filling
1 12-ounce package chocolate chips
1 15-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chopped walnuts Mix ingredients for dough in order given on low in mixer.  Once the dough has formed remove from bowl.  Shape into a disc and wrap with plastic wrap.   Place in refrigerator to rest.    Heat oven to 350 degrees. While the dough is firming up place the ingredients for the filling in  small sauce pan.  Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until chips are melted. Pinch off small amounts of dough and place them in the mini muffin pan.   Use the wooden form to push dough down and form a cup.     Do this for all remaining muffin cups.   Using the smallest cookie scoop available fill each cup with Fudge mixture.  Place in oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until dough is slightly browned.   Can also use other fillings: ·         Apple Pie ·         Lemon Curd ·         Chicken Salad ·         Use Peanut Butter or Butterscotch chips in place of Chocolate chips in filling mixture. ·         Quiche fillings ·         Your favorite  pie filling ·         Your favorite fudge filling    This dough is very versatile and goes with any flavor sweet or savory. It is also very forgiving and comes out perfect every time unlike regular pie crust.   Give it a try and let me know how you like it and what you like to fill it with.      Pecan Tarts Here is a similar recipe for Pecan Tassies and Chocolate Cups Click on recipe image to open photo.  Right click on photo to save to your computer for printing. Raspberry Almond Tarts  And another recipe with a different flavor profile....  Click on recipe to open photo.  Right click on photo to save to your computer.  For more recipes, click the button below:  Follow me on Facebook   Or find me on Pinterest  Click this image to subscribe Join me on Google+ From the bottom of my heart..............