Butter Pecan Tassies
This pecan tassie recipe is a mash up of a butter tart and pecan pie in a small bite sized dessert. The ‘no-fail’ pastry crust for this mini tart could not be any easier!
One of my favourite desserts over Christmas is the simple butter tart. My wife has an aunt who makes the most amazing butter tarts, and every holiday family gathering people are waiting for these sweet treats to appear.
These butter pecan tassies are very similar to classic mini pies. It is just that they are shrunk down to a bite sized treat. In many ways they are everything that is perfect about a butter tart as well as a pecan pie.
A tassie is basically a mini version of a tart, which is a mini version of a pie. They are so good and ideal for holiday baking, when there are many different cookies and squares. People like to try different sweets and this tassie is small enough that it does not feel like a big commitment.
Making these butter pecan tassies is very simple. Sure, it does take some time to shape the 48 pastry cups, but it is not a difficult task at all. It is well worth it, because these will be extremely popular.
Making the pastry shells
This is the easiest pastry dough I have ever made. It uses only three ingredients and is as close to a no-fail pastry as you will ever get.
- Using an electric mixer cream the butter and cream cheese. Slowly beat in the flour, a little at a time until well mixed and there are no dry bits of flour in the pastry dough.
- Roll a small little bit of dough into a ball that is about an inch (or a tiny bit larger) in diameter.Place the balls in the balls mini muffin tray.
- This recipe will make 48 tassies, so I like to evenly divide the dough into the 48 balls before I shape them. That way, if I run out of dough, or have some left over, I can either take some dough from the balls I have already made, or I can top them up with the extra dough. Try to make sure each portion has the same amount of dough.
- Use your fingers to shape the ball of dough into a mini tart. Press down and work the dough up the sides of the mini cup tray.
How to make butter tart filling
The filling for these pecan tassies is very simple and quite similar to a butter tart.
- With an electric mixer beat the melted butter with the eggs, brown sugar and corn syrup. Beat until smooth with an almost whipped like consistency.
- Use a spoon to stir in the pecans.
- Pour the filling into the tassie cups so that they are close to 3/4 full. If you fill it more than that there is a chance it will overflow when baking.
How long to bake tassies?
Baking any type of pastry dessert with this type of filling is a little tricky. Butter tarts, pecan pies and these tassies are all the similar and over baking them will result in a crystallized filling. Instead you want to bake them just long enough for the pastry to cook, but for the filling to still be soft and gooey.
I bake these tassies in a 325F oven for 20-23 minutes. I watch them closely over those last few minutes. The filling will puff right up. That is normal and it will settle right back down once it cools. The edges of the pastry will be just starting to brown and, for me, that is the indication that they are done.
Let the mini tarts rest after baking
Once these butter pecan tassies come out of the oven, make sure to let them rest for a few minutes. They will be hot and the filling will be all puffed up. After they have had a little bit of time to cool down, the filling will have settled and they can easily be removed from the tray. With all the butter in the pastry, and because they are in a non stick pan, they are able to just lift right out. I tend to just turn them in the tray with my fingers to loosen them, and then the mini tart lifts right out.
Other great baking recipes!
If you are planning to make these as part of some holiday baking, then check out these other great recipes!
- Chocolate Peppermint Blossom Cookies
- Chocolate Dulce de Leche Tassies
- Lemon Bars
- Butterscotch Toffee Chocolate Fudge Cookies
- Candy Cane Crinkle Cookies
Butter Pecan Tassies
Ingredients
Pastry
- 1 cup butter , softened
- 6 oz cream cheese
- 2 cups flour
Filling
- 1/4 cup butter , melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Beat the 1 cup softened butter with the cream cheese using a stand mixer or electric mixer, on medium speed, until mixture is combined. Beat in the flour, a little at a time, on low speed until combined.
- Shape dough into 48 balls. Press each ball evenly into the bottoms and up the sides of 48 ungreased 1-3/4-inch mini muffin cups.
- With an electric mixer or a stand mixer, beat the melted butter with the brown sugar and corn syrup. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Stir in the pecans. Pour into the tassie cups so that they are close to 3/4 full. If you fill it more than that there is a chance it will overflow when baking.
- Bake in a 325F oven for 20-23 minutes. Cool.
Nutrition
Per serving:
