Pecan Tassies ~ A Holiday Favorite

Thanksgiving is approaching so let the holiday baking begin!!!! No holiday cookie tray would be complete without Pecan Tassies. If you are from the South then you know exactly what a Pecan Tassie is. If you have not been lucky enough to have ever had one grace the inside of you mouth, you just don't know what you are missing. To sum it up Pecan Tassies are just like bite-sized pecan pies. They have a tangy crust made from cream cheese and butter and the filling is just like sweet pecan pie. What a awesome combination. These dandy little treats are a holiday staple in the south. I threw together a batch today so I could get them made and in the freezer before anybody got home and noticed them sitting on the counter. You see I have to start my Thanksgiving baking at the beginning of November if I want to get all my goodies made for my Harvest Baskets for teachers and family members.

Usually I can bake about two to three items a week and toss them in storage freezer bags. Then I place them in the freezer and that is where they will sit until the night before I gather my baskets and get them ready for everyone. Everything taste as fresh as the day I baked it. I will be adding all my homemade canned items, so the baskets will be so pretty I cant wait to get started on them.You really need to make these Pecan Tassies they will be perfect for the holidays trust me. I did not have any helpers today in the kitchen as i said before I was sneaking around today tossing this together before anybody was on to me. I recommend doubling the tart shell recipe, I had to prepare a second batch because I still had plenty of the pecan filling to make more. Of course I had to sneak just a few before i put them in the freezer, I mean it wasn't like anyone was watching me.

These are the ingredients you will need pecans, vanilla extract, brown sugar, butter or margarine, flour, cream cheese and a egg.


add the softened butter and softened cream cheese to a bowl.

Mix with a electric mixer until blended.

add the flour and mix until the dough starts to come together. Form into a ball and chill for at least one hour or overnight.

roll into 1 inch balls and place in a greased mini muffin tin. (you may have to use a bit of flour on your hands while rolling into balls.

Shape into little tart shells.

the back of my wooden juicer works out perfect or use a tart shaper. Dip in flour then shape,

just like this.... next lets start to prepare the pecan filling.



add egg and vanilla extract to another bowl.

add brown sugar

and melted butter

and chopped pecans.

spoon filling into the tart shells and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes watch them carefully. Mine were done in about 20 minutes.

transfer to a cooking rack and cool completely. These tarts freeze very well.

Pecan Tassies

Crust
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour

Filling
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
Powdered sugar (optional)

Recipe for tart shells, beat butter and cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Add flour; mix until a soft dough forms. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls of dough into cups in a greased Mini-Muffin Pan. Dip Mini-Tart Shaper in flour; press into dough to form a tart shell. For filling, combine all filling ingredients in a Bowl; mix well. Fill tart shells evenly with filling mixture. Bake 20-25minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from mini-muffin pan to a Cooling Rack. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

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