Tassie Recipe Variations

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:

• For candied lemon zest: Remove zest from lemons with a vegetable peeler, keeping pieces long. Remove white pith using a paring knife, and finely julienne using a very sharp knife. Place julienned zest in a small bowl; cover with boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes; drain.
• Bring 1 cup sugar and the cool water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. When sugar is completely dissolved, add julienned zest, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand overnight. Remove zest, and drain on wire rack. Roll in sugar. Dry on wire rack. Store zest in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with rack in upper third. Lightly butter a 24-cup mini-muffin pan; set aside. In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flour and butter. Pulse until mixture is the consistency of fine crumbs. Add the sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Process until evenly incorporated and smooth; do not overprocess.
• Divide the dough into quarters. Divide each quarter into 6 pieces. Shape into balls. Place each ball in a muffin cup; press down in the centers so that the dough fits the cups snugly. Set muffin pan on a baking sheet.
• Bake until lightly browned all over and slightly darker at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer baking sheet with muffin pan to a wire rack to cool.
• Make the filling: In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla until completely smooth. Using a 1/4-ounce ice cream scoop, fill the cooled crusts. Bake until filling is set and just beginning to color at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer muffin pan to a wire rack. Garnish with candied lemon peel. Let cool completely before serving. The tassies may be stored in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

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.

PECAN TASSIES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth; gradually beat in flour. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour or until firm enough to roll., Preheat oven to 375°. Shape dough into 1-in. balls; press evenly onto bottoms and up sides of greased mini muffin cups., For filling, in a small bowl, mix egg, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and salt until blended. Stir in 1/3 cup pecans; spoon into pastries. Sprinkle with remaining pecans., Bake 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden and filling is puffed. Cool in pans 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Freeze option: Freeze cooled cookies, layered between waxed paper, in freezer containers. To use, thaw in covered containers.

WALNUT TASSIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat sweet butter and cream cheese together in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Gradually stir flour into butter until forming a dough. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place into 3/4-inch muffin cups. Press dough into the bottom and sides of each muffin cup.
• Mix brown sugar, walnuts, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract together in a separate bowl. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of walnut filling into the dough cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges of cookies are lightly browned and filling is cooked through, about 25 minutes.

CARAMEL TASSIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. , Roll dough into 1-in. balls; press onto the bottom and up the sides of ungreased miniature muffin cups. Prick bottoms with a fork. Bake at 375° for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks., In a large heavy saucepan over low heat, melt caramels with milk. Remove from the heat; cool slightly. Transfer to a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag; cut a small hole in a corner of the bag. Pipe filling into pastry cups. Cool to room temperature., For frosting, in a small bowl, beat shortening and butter until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar and milk until fluffy. Pipe onto filling. Store in the refrigerator.