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Pecan Tassies

Jen Paleracio
Pecan Tassies are a delicious dessert made with a buttery crust and a sweet pecan filling.
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Prep Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 48 pieces

Equipment

  • Mini muffin tins
  • Electric mixer
  • Spatula
  • Saucepan
  • Rolling Pin
  • Cookie cutter, circles

Ingredients
  

PECAN FILLING

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream or whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons water
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 cup chopped pecans, more for toppings
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

CRUST

  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions
 

FOR THE FILLING

  • In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the butter, and stir constantly until melted.
  • Add brown sugar, cinnamon, honey, heavy cream, and cornstarch mixture. Keep stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth. See NOTE #1
  • Remove the saucepan from the heat. Use a bigger spoon and spoon the mixture slowly into the egg yolks, this technique will prevent the egg yolks from curdling. Pour the tempered egg yolks into the filling. See NOTE #2
  • Add pecans, vanilla, and salt, then stir to combine. Let the pecan filling cool completely before filling the crust.

MAKE THE DOUGH

  • In the meantime, make the dough by combining the butter and cream cheese in the mixing bowl and mix until fluffy and light in color. See NOTE #3
  • Gradually add the flour, and continue mixing until the dough comes together.
  • Form the dough into a disk, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for an hour or until firm.

ROLL AND BAKE

  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Dust a clean surface with flour, and roll the dough into 1/8 inch thick. Use a 3-4 inch cookie cutter and cut the dough into circles.
  • Place each circle in the well of the mini muffin tins. Fill them with about a tablespoon of the pecan filling. See NOTE #4
  • Place the mini muffin tins in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes or when the filling is set but still slightly jiggly in the center. The crust should be golden brown and firm to the touch.

Video

Notes

NOTE #1: Cooking the pecan filling vs just combining the ingredients makes a big difference. I find that the sugar doesn't dissolve completely when you don't heat it and you'll end up with a grainy texture when you bite into the pecan tassie. 
 
NOTE #2: Tempering is the process of slowly raising the temperature of the egg yolks to prevent them from curdling or scrambling when added to the hot mixture. It ensures that the egg yolks are evenly distributed throughout the mixture, providing a smooth and creamy texture. Adding untempered egg yolks to a hot mixture can result in a lumpy or grainy texture, making the final product less appealing. 
 
NOTE #3: The recipe for the dough can also be used when making Polish cookies called Kolacky.
 
NOTE #4: You can also use mini tart molds to make these Pecan Tassies if you don't want to use mini muffin tins. You can also make the fluted edges when using some tart molds. 
 
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Keyword bite-sized, crust, dessert, Festive, holiday, mini, miniature, nutty, pastry, pecan, pecans, recipe, sweet, tart