Monday, December 20, 2010

Chocolate Pecan Tassies


The cookie machine was running full-speed yesterday! Not only did I made my family's all-time favorite Candy Cane Cookies but I also made another cookie that has been around for years - Pecan Tassies.


Having recently seen David Lebovitz' post on Chocolate Pecan Pie, I decided to add some chopped dark chocolate to the bottom of my tassie cups! It was a great idea (giving self pat on back) and they taste wonderful!

I broke out the imported Danish butter than I had been saving for my holiday baking.


Packed in Denmark at the Dairy :) Loved that!



While I was baking, I watched my most favorite version of Dickens' Christmas Carol, Scrooge with Albert Finney. I love the story and the music.

 
Thank You Very Much! The song was nominated for an Academy Award that year for Best Original Song.  If you've never seen it - I highly recommend it to you!


This my favorite Tiny Tim of them all. I cry every time I watch the ending of this movie.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, My Dears :)


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Chocolate Pecan Tassies
Printable Recipe

Makes 2 dozen (You will want to double this recipe - believe me!)

3 oz cream cheese (I use the lower-fat Neufchatel cheese), softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1-1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons softened butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate

In a stand mixer, blend softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in flour until blended. Remove dough and cover with plastic wrap and chill for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325F.

Shape dough into 2 dozen, 1-inch balls. Place in un-greased mini-muffin tins and press evenly against bottom and sides of pan. If you have a handy, dandy, tamper tool, it will simplify that task!

Filling:

Beat together eggs, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of softened butter, vanilla and salt just until smooth. Place a small amount of chopped, dark chocolate on the bottom of each dough cup. Add half of pecans over the chocolate and add egg mixture to the top. Sprinkle with remaining pecans.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool before removing from pans.

58 comments:

  1. Susan, These look so great! What a genius idea to put chocolate in the bottom of the tassie. I love pecan tassies. this would bring them to another level! Thanks for posting these.

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  2. My Mom always made the pecan tassies..I like the idea of adding the dark chocolate! Great photos... YUM!!

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  3. They look great Susan, and doesn't chocolate make EVERYTHING better:@)

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  4. I love Pecan Tassies, and chocolate can only make them better!

    I've seen that butter at the grocery!

    Merry Christmas to you and your family, Susan! Best wishes!

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  5. I have my mom's recipe for Pecan Tassies. Love the addition of the dark chocolate. Danish butter, special for your baking!!!

    I wish I'd had more time for baking this year. So far the only holiday treat I've made is Peanut Butter Balls.

    Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday!!

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  6. Oh yummmmmm...okay, are you writing a cookbook? I just need to buy it. ;D

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  7. These pecan tassies are lovely. I love the chocolate in the bottom. I am jealous of your Danish butter.

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  8. Those pecan tassies look wonderful, especially with the chocolate. I'm putting them on my list for tomorrow's baking marathon!

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  9. Good thinking on the chocolate. I always find a slice of pecan pie to overly sweet. These little bites are right up my alley!!

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  10. Lovely post. I have not made these in years; chocolate maks everything better and I'm sure your tassies must be really tasty!
    Rita

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  11. Nothing, and I repeat, nothing beats Danish butter. We could buy it when we lived in the islands and believe it or not, it was less expensive than US brands.

    Your tassies bring back memories of one of our employee's wife. She always made tassies at Christmas time and her husband passed them around the office on a tray with a great deal of pride. She was a wonderful cook.
    Sam

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  12. These are another trip down memory lane. My mother made these every year. Love the idea of the chocolate!
    Happy Holidays!

    Carol

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  13. Your cookies are works of art. I love the idea of adding the chocolate as well - you are such an inventive baker :)

    I had not even heard of Danish butter but I did love seeing the package and the "packed at the dairy" wording.

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  14. Buonissimi!!! li adoro....bacioni e auguri!!! :p

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  15. Where do you find the danish butter! I would love to try that. I am sure the addition of the chocolate is perfect. I would love to try one right now, for breakfast!

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  16. Now I want to see this version..

    !

    It looks great! You must have had a nice day..I like the butter too..never seen it here.. but it looks so different.I must admit we enjoy buying butter in the states ..it's in quarters:)

    WE make a chocolate pecan tart.. It tastes similar maybe?

    Chocolate at the bottom..scrumptious..Ahh..Jacques just told me the movie was on Turner Classics last week..I missed it!!

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  17. I LOVE pecan tassies! I mean, really. Mini pecan pies. How could you go wrong? Adding chocolate to the mix sounds like a wonderful idea!

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  18. I didn't think it was possible to improve on the classic pecan tassie, but the addition of chocolate does make them even more delicious. They are the number one Christmas cookie in my house.

    Merry Christmas, Susan.

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  19. Susan, these tassies look fantastic! I am glad that you are using REAL BUTTER!

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  20. I love these, scrumptious little bites!
    I have never seen that butter, though Carol said she has! I have seen the Irish butter, but maybe because I am drawn to that! :)

    So many things I want to make, but not enough time or energy left!
    Wish I had one of your tassies right now!

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  21. What a wonderful post! So full of Christmas cheer. I love these little sweet treats. YUMMY!
    Merry Christmas, dear friend!
    xo Yvonne

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  22. I love these pecan tassies, discovered after I had moved to Texas. I also love the idea of nestling a bit of chocolate in there! Pecans are such a wonderful nut.

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  23. Susan, these look really decadent -- the addition of chocolate ramps them up a notch! I do love the Christmas Carol. I am sure that I have seen this version -- have to ask my husband -- he's a huge fan. I also love the Muppet's version and, believe it or not Tori Spelling's version, A Carol Christmas -- she's so good mean! Susan thank you for linking up to my "It's Your Wonderful Life!" These truly are yummy bites of wonderfulness -- I am sure that is not a word! I hope you and yours have the Merriest Christmas! Joni

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  24. They look lovely. Yes, spoon mesaure on butter are great... here in New Zealand they have 50 g mesaures on butter wrappers... I guess people eat more butter here :-)

    ciao
    Alessandra

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  25. I'm curious to understand any foreign recipes ^^ Congratulations for the blog!

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  26. Hello!
    Today I want to wish you a merry Christmas!
    Hugs and kisses
    Barbaraxx

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  27. Your pecan tassies looks great! Wishing you and family a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

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  28. Delicious cookies!
    Merry Christmas, dear Susan ;-)

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  29. Susan!
    These little miniature tarts look so buttery and gooey and nutty and yummy. Can you feel me patting you on the back, too? :) I love getting ideas like that. Where did the word tassies ever come from. In Canada, I have only heard it through the internet. I did google it - but maybe should again. There wasn't much information then... except maybe from Australia. I love the word. Do you know if it is a substitute for tart or if it means miniature tart, or if it means something else more specific?
    Anyway, enough with the 30 thousand questions. That's me. Oh, I do have one more. I took your advice, plugged myself in and am getting my posts. I found yours, took it out, and put it back in. Are you getting them now?
    MERRY CHRISTMAS to you!!!
    And may your holiday be filled with warmth and love and happiness.
    BIG HUGS!
    :)
    Valerie

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  30. Susan I like the addition of chocolate to pecan tassies! Your Danish butter must have made the crusts so tender and extra flavorful!

    A Christmas Carol is such a wonderfil classic and Albert Finney shined in the role as Scrooge in this version!


    Merry Christmas to you and your family!

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  31. Thank you very much for your kind message on my blog!
    The yeast bag in Italy are of 16 gr. each, so I used just half:)
    I wish you merry Xmas:)
    Barbara

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  32. Those little tarts look so scrumptious! They remind me of the Canadian Butter Tarts I used to make when I was first experimenting in the kitchen at the tender age of 15 . . . a little labor intensive, but with great results!

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  33. Great recipe and super photos. Happy holidays.

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  34. oooh these look good! The perfect bite sized treat :)

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  35. Nope, you guessed wrong, I am from Utah and the skiers (like my son) are loving it! I wish I was from California, but alas no!

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  36. Those look so good-great photography too!

    I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas,

    Carolyn

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  37. my family would love these! they look like the perfect bite sized treat! thanks for sharing and cant wait to check out the "its a wonderful life party"

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  38. Oooh...now these look yummy! Also...love those candy cane cookies! So clever! Wishing you a wonderful Christmas with your family filled with peace, love and joy!...hugs...Debbie

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  39. Thank you, everyone, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

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  40. Ooh yum! These look wonderful! I make a chocolate pecan tart for Thanksgiving but love the idea of making my favorite flavors into cookies - with a cream cheese crust! Yum!

    Best,
    Sarah

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  41. My Mom always made the pecan tassies, and perhaps I can persuade her to add the dark chocolate! My best friend is in our local theater's production of Scrooge, and I go every year. Christmas Wishes to you and your family!

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  42. thanks for the kind comment on my blog this look wonderful love mini treats

    Have a blessed Christmas

    love Rebecca

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  43. Your tassies look great! Wishing you and your family much happiness at Christmas.

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  44. I'm back to wish you a very merry Christmas filled with wonderful food, family and friends. Happy holidays to you and your family.

    Be good 'cause Santa Claus comes tonight.
    Sam

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  45. Susan, your pecan tassies look great! I love to make them at Christmas time and your chocolate addition is great. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

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  46. These brought back memories. I've never made these but my Aunt Addah always made them when we were little. I can still remember the taste except that these have the wonderful addition of the chocolate! You can never go wrong with chocolate!!

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  47. Susan, I just came upon your blog from another foodie, and so happy to have done so. I have spent a considerable amount of time looking at some of your recipes, and there are many here that have made me linger.

    Merry Christmas to you and your family and I look forward to getting to know you in 2011.

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  48. I bet your imported butter makes a huge difference. These look delicious!

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  49. I wish you a very merry Christmas...to you and your family..thanks as always for good and beautiful recipe, Buon Natale, Flavia

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  50. Mmmmmmm, these look fantastic! These are always one of my favorite Christmas treats. Hope you've had a great holiday! :)

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  51. Those tassies look delicious and you definitely deserve a BIG pat on the back - chocolate just makes everything better, doesn't it? I also love that version of A Christmas Carol and have been identifying with Tiny Tim lately as I have been on crutches since October! Definitely make it harder to get around the kitchen - lol:0 Hope you had a wonderful holiday - Cheers!

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  52. I'm late!!!!! and now what can I say....Christmas is over .... I'm early to wish you a wonderful 2011 full of love!
    A warm hug...

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  53. I love visiting and just linger here Susan...always beautiful, always inspiring!Albert Finney version ...yes, the best.
    Hope you had a good Christmas and still are!!
    Bisous
    Ronelle

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  54. These cute little treats look amazing!!! perfect after a big meal!

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  55. I made these for a Christmas party. Needless to say I didn't have any left to take home after all was said and done! :)

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  56. Your pecan tassies look absolutely delightful :)
    Wishing you a most wonderful New Year!

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