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Pecan Tassies

Tassies are tiny tarts, typically served at parties such as showers. Cream cheese dough is ideal to work with, as it is easily pushed into the tiny tins, but just about any pie dough will work for tarts. Pecans have a certain affection for bourbon, but vanilla is also a good addition. They are a busy cook's secret weapon since they freeze so well.

1 recipe Very Versatile Cream Cheese Dough (page 512)
1 large egg
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar (use 3/4 cup for a sweeter filling)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon bourbon extract, bourbon, or vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup chopped pecans, divided

Divide the dough into 30 equal balls. Chill the balls for 30 minutes.

Move the balls to 30 tiny, lightly greased, fluted mini tart pans or miniature muffin cups placed on a rimmed baking sheet. Press the dough with fingertips or a tart tamper (a wooden dowel which comes with differentsized rounded ends) against the bottoms and sides. Place the baking sheets with the lined pans in the refrigerator to chill while preparing the filling. If any tassies crack after refrigeration, press a small amount of dough onto the crack to cover.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat together the egg, brown sugar, butter, extract, and salt in a mixing bowl until all the lumps are gone. Place half the pecans into the dough-lined pans and carefully spoon in the egg mixture, taking care to keep the filling below the sides of the dough, thus preventing it from slipping under the dough and caramelizing, making it difficult to remove the tassie. Dot with the remaining pecans. Bake 25 minutes, or until the filling is set. Cool 5 minutes on a rack, but be sure to remove the tassies from the pans while they are still warm.

If tassies are reluctant to come out of the pan, insert a small thin knife between the tassie and the pan and give the tassie a boost.

These will keep several days closely wrapped or 3 months in the freezer. They defrost quickly at room temperature or heat on a rimmed baking sheet while still frozen.

Variation: Chocolate Pecan Tassies Add 1/3 cup chocolate chips to the recipe, putting half into the tins with half of the pecans. Dot the filled tins with the remaining half of the chips and nuts.