Pecan Tassies and Lassies

Rogier was sweet. When the timer beeped, he volunteered to pull the hot tray out of the oven for me. At home, Justin also does this for me. I don't know what it is about pulling hot food out of the oven, but it's like the inner fireman, asleep inside these men, awakens. "Step aside ma'am," they say as they halt kitchen traffic with one arm and rescue the baked goods from the inferno with the other.

Mini cupcakes used to annoy me as I imagined it was more effort to fill 24 cups instead of twelve and to eat four cupcakes instead of one. But I realized after making these pecan tassies at a party, they are great when wanting to feed a gathering of people. Warning: These mini tassies are deceiving and dangerous. One, two or 48 will disappear before you realize you've been tricked into digesting three sticks of butter solo.

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Pecan Tassies

1½ cup (3 sticks) butter, unsalted
6 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten lightly
1½ cups (6 oz) pecans, chopped
1 cup pitted dates, chopped
1 tsp vanilla
sifted confectioner’s sugar

1. Preheat oven 350°.
2. In a large bowl or a food processor, thoroughly mix 1 cup of the butter, cream cheese and flour. About 2 minutes in the bowl. [Thao - I did this by hand and it took me 30-45 min]  20-30 seconds in the food processor.
3. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, roll each quarter into a cylinder, and separate each cylinder into 12 balls.  Place each ball in a section of 4 ungreased miniature muffin tins.  Using thumb are forefinger, press each ball into a cup, working the dough evenly up the sides to the rim.
4. In a medium sized bowl, beat the remaining ½ cup butter with the sugar until smooth.  Stir in the egg, pecans, dates and vanilla.
5. Fill shells and bake in the oven 30-35 minutes.
6. Let cool completely on wire racks before removing.
7. Sprinkle with the confectioner’s sugar before serving.

Will keep tightly covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Freeze for up to 1 month.

Makes 48 tassies.


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Debrief:
Thao - maybe half the amount of dates;  consult with Carmen to see what kind of dates Nanna may have used and whether butter was used for the dough