Holiday Gem Tassies Recipes

HOLIDAY ALMOND TASSIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour and mix well. Shape into 48 balls. With floured fingers, press onto the bottom and up the sides of greased miniature muffin cups., For filling, in a large bowl, combine the almond paste, sugar, eggs, orange juice, cream and flour. Fill prepared cups three-fourths full. Sprinkle with almonds. , Bake at 400° until lightly browned, 12-13 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before carefully removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

GRANDMA'S PECAN TASSIES

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup butter and cream cheese in a bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add flour gradually, beating at low speed. Shape mixture into 48 balls and place on a baking sheet. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease the cups of a mini-muffin pan. Press 1 chilled dough ball into each cup and shape into a tart shell.
• Whisk brown sugar, eggs, 2 tablespoons butter, vanilla extract, and salt together in a bowl. Stir in 1 1/4 cups pecans. Spoon mixture into tart shells. Top with the remaining pecans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges of cookie shell are delicately brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Gently remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks, about 20 minutes.

LEMON TASSIES

Steps:

• Blend together cream cheese and butter. Stir in flour, form into a ball and chill at least one hour.
• Divide into 24 balls, place in ungreased miniature muffin tins and press dough against bottom and up the sides.
• Combine filling ingredients and mix well, divide among tart shells.
• Bake 25-30 minutes or until set.
• Cool them for several minutes and gently remove them from the tins.

LEMON DREAM TASSIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 36 mini muffin cups with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, stir cookie mix, ground almonds, butter and cream cheese until soft dough forms.
• Shape dough into 36 (1 1/4-inch) balls. Press each ball in bottom and up side of muffin cup.
• Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan, about 30 minutes.
• Remove cookie cups from pan. Fill each with about 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon curd.
• In small bowl, mix frosting and whipped topping until well blended. Pipe or spoon 1 rounded teaspoon frosting mixture on top of each filled cookie cup. Top each with lemon peel and almonds. Store covered in refrigerator.

PECAN TASSIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the dough: Process pecans in a food processor until finely ground (you should have about 1/2 cup); set aside. Put mascarpone or cream cheese and butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until well blended. Add flour, ground pecans, and salt; mix just until dough comes together. Alternatively, stir together ingredients with a wooden spoon in a large bowl.
• Roll dough into eighteen 1-inch balls, and press into bottoms and up sides of cups of mini-muffin tins.
• Make the filling: Whisk the egg, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, butter, and salt in a small bowl. Stir in pecans. Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons filling into each muffin cup.
• Bake pecan tassies until crust begins to turn golden, about 20-22 minutes. Let cool completely in tins on wire rack. Unmold. Pecan tassies can be stored in single layers in airtight containers up to 3 days.