Pecan Tassies

[kirra]

Pecan Tassies
Baked Explorations

Ingredients:

Tassie Shells:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 ounces cream cheese, softened, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour

Tassie Filling:

2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

Preparation:

Tassie Shells:
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and cream cheese together on medium speed until mixture is lump-free. Add sugar and beat again for 15 seconds. Scrape down bottom and sides of bowl. Add flour in four parts at low speed, until mixture is just combined and a dough forms.

Pinch off a walnut-sized piece of dough, roll it into a ball, and place into one of the cups of an individual mini-muffin tin. Continue pinching, rolling, and placing dough pieces in the tin until all of the dough is gone. You should have approximately 40 pieces. Use your fingers to press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of each tin. Once all the tassie shells have been formed, place muffin tin in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

Tassie Filling:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until they just break apart. While whisking, gradually add brown sugar until completely combined. Add vanilla and salt; whisk again. Add 1/2 cup of the chopped pecans and stir until completely mixed in.

Remove muffin tin from refrigerator. Spoon filling into each shell until they are about three-quarters full. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup chopped pecans over the filling.

Bake for about 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until crust is cooked and filling is set.

Allow tassies to cool for at least 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room-temperature. Pecan tassies taste best the day they are made, but can be wrapped in plastic and kept at room-temperature for up to 2 days.
Yield: approximately 40 tassies