A Southern Holiday Classic, Perfected: The Gooey, Toasty Pecan Tassies Our Editors Make Every December

Ingredients

For 24 servings

• •142 g raw pecan halves (5 ounces; about 1 1/4 cups)
• •106 g dark brown sugar (3 3/4 ounces; 1/2 cup)
• •70 g maple syrup (2 1/2 ounces; about 1/4 cup)
• •28 g unsalted butter, melted (1 ounce; 2 tablespoons)
• •1 c. à soupe (15ml) bourbon
• •1 c. à café vanilla extract
• •1 large egg
• •1 /2 teaspoon grated orange zest from 1 small orange
• •1 /2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
• •113 g unsalted butter (4 ounces; 1 stick), softened
• •85 g cream cheese (3 ounces; 6 tablespoons), softened
• •128 g all-purpose flour (4 1/2 ounces; 1 cup)
• •1 /4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

Method

1. 1.Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (175ºC). On a 13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet, spread pecan halves in a single layer. Select 24 perfect, unbroken pecan halves; transfer to a small bowl and set aside for topping. Bake remaining pecan halves in preheated oven until fragrant and toasted, 7 to 8 minutes. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
2. 2.Measure out 1/4 cup (about 32g) toasted pecans. Transfer to a food processor. Process until finely ground, 10 to 20 seconds. Set ground pecans aside for dough. Chop remaining pecans; set aside for filling.
3. 3.Prepare the Dough : In a large bowl, beat together softened butter and cream cheese with a flexible spatula until smooth and creamy. Add flour, salt, and reserved ground pecans. Stir together until a cohesive dough forms. Divide dough into 24 one-inch balls, about 14g or 1/2 ounce each.
4. 4.Press 1 dough ball into each cup of a nonstick 24-cup mini muffin pan. Gently and evenly press dough into the bottom and up the sides of each cup. Transfer pan to freezer; chill until firmed, about 15 minutes.
5. 5.Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, bourbon, vanilla, egg, zest, and salt together until smooth.
6. 6.Remove muffin pan from freezer. Spoon about 1 teaspoon reserved chopped pecans into each cup. Pour 2 teaspoons filling into each cup. Top each cup with 1 reserved untoasted pecan half.
7. 7.Bake until crust is lightly golden and filling is bubbling, 25 to 28 minutes. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Invert tassies onto a wire rack, then turn them right-side-up, and let cool completely on wire rack, about 30 minutes.