Caramel Tassies

1. Stage

Start the dough by creaming together the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy—about five minutes. Be sure that these ingredients are room temperature so they blend together easily. Then add the flour and mix until combined. Once blended, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

2. Stage

After a stay in the fridge, it's time to shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Cover the dough and chill again for an hour or up to overnight. Editor's Tip: This cookie dough is a bit sticky, so the firmer it is, the less messy it'll be for forming into cookie cups.

3. Stage

Pull out your muffin tin and drop a cookie dough ball into each cavity. Then use a tamper lightly dusted with flour to press the dough into a cup shape. If you don't have a tamper, you can use your thumb or a small spatula to create this shape.

4. Stage

Then prick the bottom of each cookie cup with a fork. Place the muffin tin into a 375ºF oven for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden. Cool the cookies for five minutes, then remove them from the muffin tin and let them cool completely on a wire rack. Editor's Tip: If you don't prick the dough it will puff up and there won't be enough room for caramel.

5. Stage

Melt the caramels and evaporated milk together in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Once melted and blended, turn off the burner and let the mix cool slightly. Use two spoons to fill the cookie cups with caramel. Editor's Tip: It's tempting to crank up the heat so your candies melt faster, but it's important to melt the caramel slowly so it doesn't burn.

6. Stage

For the frosting, beat together the shortening and butter until smooth. Gradually add in the confectioners' sugar and milk until the mix is velvety smooth. Use a piping bag fitted with whatever tip you prefer and pipe a swoosh of frosting onto each caramel cup.

7. Stage

Take your favorite type of chocolate—milk, dark, semisweet, whatever!—and melt it until smooth. Take a spoon and drizzle it over each cookie.