Pecan Tassies

4.65 from 17 votes

Like mini-pecan pies made with a buttery, cream cheese based tart shell. They're sweet and nutty and so easy to pop right in your mouth!

Prep Time20

Cook Time23

Total Time43

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dessert, holiday, pecan

Servings:

Calories: 130kcal

Author: Tricia

Equipment

mini muffin tin

Ingredients

For the tart shells:

½ cup unsalted butter room temperature (113g or 8 tablespoons)
3 ounces block cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour sifted after measuring (126g)
⅛ teaspoon salt

For the filling:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
¾ cup light brown sugar packed (170g)
2 tablespoons light corn syrup (like Karo)
2 large eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped toasted pecans (112g or 4oz)

Instructions

To prepare the tart shells:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a mini muffin tin with vegetable cooking spray. Set aside.
Combine the butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer beat until combined. Add the flour and salt and blend until a soft dough forms.
Working with scant 1 tablespoon of dough (about 13 to 14g) at a time, roll into a ball then press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of each muffin cup. Make sure the dough reaches the top (or slightly over the top) of the pan so you can add a decent amount of filling.
PRO TIP: To make the process easier I use a small cookie scoop to portion the dough and a mini-tart shaper to press the dough into tart shell shapes.
Once filled freeze the muffin tin while preparing the filling. Chilling will help the dough hold its shape when baked.

To prepare the filling:

Stir together the melted butter, sugar and corn syrup until combined. Add the eggs, vanilla and salt. Stir until blended. Fold in the chopped pecans.
Fill each tart shell to the top with about one tablespoon of the filling taking care not to overfill. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops are light golden brown. Cool the cookies in the pan for 5 minutes then remove to a cooling rack. Dust with powdered sugar or add a dollop of whipped cream just before serving.

Notes

Cookies will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Refrigerate for longer storage. You can also freeze tassies for up to one month well sealed in an airtight container.
Toast the pecans on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper at 350 degrees F for 6 to 8 minutes or until slightly fragrant. Cool then chop fine.
You'll have about 1/2 cup of leftover filling depending on the size of your muffin tin wells. My pan from Williams Sonoma holds approximately 1.1 ounces while other pans may hold only .8 ounces. Simply bake the filling in a small ramekin lightly coated with vegetable cooking spray and enjoy!

Nutritional information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered as an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition