Cranberry Pecan Tassies are delicious, buttery pastry cups full of sweet pecan filling and chopped tart cranberries! Recipe yields 2 dozen.
- ½ cup butter = 1 stick or 8 Tbsp., softened
- 3 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar dark or light (I use dark)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- ⅓ cup finely chopped cranberries
- 3 Tablespoons finely chopped pecans
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Beat cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl until fully combined, using an electric mixer. Stir in flour until fully incorporated. Dough will be thick and slightly crumbly. Cover dough; refrigerate for 30 minutes. NOTE: Refrigerating dough is optional BUT highly recommend (helps hold dough balls together better.
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TIP: Before continuing, preheat oven to 325°F. so it's ready once the tassies are filled and ready to bake!
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Divide chilled dough into 12 equal-sized pieces; roll into balls between your palms. Cut each ball in half, yielding 24 portions. Roll each piece into a ball. NOTE: If you only have 1 mini muffin pan that holds 12, keep the remaining half of the dough balls covered/refrigerated until muffin pan is ready to be used again.
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Place 1 ball into each ungreased muffin cup. Use your thumb to press each ball down into the bottom and up the sides of the muffin cups. Carefully press/shape the dough until pastry shells "almost" reach the top of the muffin cups.
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Make Filling: In a small mixing bowl, beat egg, brown sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth. Add pecans and cranberries. Stir well, until fully combined. Spoon the filling into each pastry shell, filling each about ¾ of the way up. Don't overfill the pastry shells; leave a little dough showing around the edges.
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Bake at 325°F. for 20-22 minutes OR until pastry dough is golden brown. The filling will puff up slightly during baking, so keep an eye on the pastry crust (that you can see) to check on the color.
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When done, let cool 15 minutes (still in the pan) on a wire rack. Remove them from muffin tins by running a butter knife around the edges to loosen them. The filling surface is delicate- take your time! Carefully lift each one out using a butter knife. If they've cooled enough, they will come out easily.
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To serve (room temp.): Place tassies on serving platter. Lightly sift powdered sugar on top. Garnish platter with fresh cranberries and pecan halves (optional). Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days. They also freeze well, if wrapped in plastic and stored in a freezer container.