Aunt Rita’s Pecan Tassies
Yield: 24 cookies
Pecan Tassies
This special cookie gets a free pass because we all know its true identity is the tiniest of pies And with all things tiny, they are guilt-free. When you see a huge tray of these at our family gatherings, you know that Aunt Rita is in the house.
Ingredients
Dough
- ½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Filling
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
Garnish
- Confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
Pecan Tassies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and cream cheese. Add flour. Mix until incorporated. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill overnight.
- When ready to bake tassies, prepare filling. In a bowl, combine all filling ingredients. Shape dough into 24 balls, about 1-inch in diameter. Spray two 12-well mini-muffin tins with non-stick food spray. Press a dough ball into each muffin opening. Use fingers or a pastry tart tamper to spread dough evenly up muffin cup sides. Spoon approximately 2 teaspoonfuls of pecan mixture into each pastry cup. Be careful not to overfill. The tassies can spill over while baking, making it difficult to remove the baked cookies.
- Bake until filling is set, approximately 22 – 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pans. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. When ready to serve, sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar.
