It’s pie season again! Sadly, I am a bit under the weather, so my usual plethora of pies won’t be happening this year – so I decided I would make up in quantity what I can’t do in variety. Tassies (possibly an Anglicization of the French word for cup, “tasse”) are little one-bite pies, and I adapted this recipe for a MUCH healthier pecan version that uses dates to create the custardy filling instead of eggs and Karo syrup (mmm, corn…syrup…) Fortunately, these taste just as rich as their lifesize counterpart.
Ingredients
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter
4 ounces pitted dates (about 3/4 cup or 24 large dates – if using chopped, reduce the sugar by half)
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting or whipped cream for garnish
Equipment: a blender/grinder/food processor, a mini-muffin tin lined with mini-muffin liners, saucepan, heatproof spatulaMakes 24 tassies or 12 servings.
First, grind the oatmeal into a powder, then add then next 4 ingredients and grind until they start to clump up into a ball. Scrape down the sides and grind again; it will be lumpy but try to get it as smooth as possible.
Divide this evenly into your lined muffin tin, using a small round object (I used the pestle of my mortar and pestle) to tamp it down and slightly up the sides of the tin.
Pour the date mixture into the food processor and blend until you have a smooth dark paste. Add the cream cheese and vanilla extract and blend until it’s all one color. Remove the blade or pour your mixture out into a bowl and fold in your pecans. Scoop into your prepared crusts, about a teaspoon of filling (make sure every scoop has nuts in it!) per tassie.Enjoy!
Filed under: Pantry cooking, Recipe
Tags: dessert, individual, mini, pecan, pies
