Description
Old Fashioned Pecan Tassies are delightful bite-sized tarts featuring a creamy cream cheese pastry crust filled with a rich, sweet pecan and brown sugar filling. Perfectly topped with a pecan half, these classic Southern treats are easy to make and ideal for holiday gatherings or anytime snacking.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 3/4 cup salted butter, room temperature
- 5 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
- 36 pecan halves (for topping)
Instructions
- Prepare the crust: In a small bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the room temperature butter and cream cheese until well combined and smooth. Gradually add the all-purpose flour and mix until a smooth dough forms.
- Scoop the dough: Spray three mini muffin pans (totaling 36 tart cups) with cooking spray. Using a mini cookie scoop, portion the dough evenly into the muffin cups. Refrigerate the pans while preparing the filling to firm up the dough.
- Make the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the dark brown sugar, melted butter, eggs, maple extract, and finely chopped pecans. Mix well until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Preheat and shape crust: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. After chilling the dough for about 15 minutes, remove one muffin pan from the refrigerator. Press the dough evenly along the bottom and up the sides of each muffin cavity to create a small cup shape for the filling.
- Fill the cups: Spoon the pecan filling into each dough cup, filling them about two-thirds full. Top each filled cup with a whole pecan half for garnish.
- Bake the tassies: Bake the tarts in the preheated oven for 18 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and set. Remove from the oven and let them cool slightly before carefully loosening edges with a small knife and transferring to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Allowing the dough to chill helps prevent shrinking during baking and makes it easier to shape.
- Room temperature butter and cream cheese ensure the crust blends smoothly without lumps.
- You can substitute maple extract with vanilla extract if preferred.
- Store pecan tassies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
- For easier removal, lightly grease the mini muffin pans or use silicone muffin molds.
