Chocolate Pecan Tassies

I like pecans, tassies and chocolate – this had to be the recipe for me!   Better yet, I didn’t have to make them in one session – I made the dough and refrigerated it overnight.  The next morning, when I had time, I shaped them in the pan and froze them.  Later, I quickly mixed up the filling while I preheated the oven, and filled and baked them.  Use one of those wooden “tampers” for these if you have it – it’s much easier!

This recipe is from Southern Living Christmas vol. 2.  Our oldest sister, Kay, who lived in Texas for most of her married life, was a great fan of Southern Living, cooking and baking her way through most of their cookbooks, and she converted Myrna and me into Southern Living fans too.  I know if I want to find a recipe for a dish I enjoyed while living in Texas or Georgia, I can find the recipe in at least one of the Southern Living cookbooks I have.

                       Chocolate Pecan Tassies

                        Pastry

  1/3  cup  Butter -- softened

  3     ounces  Cream Cheese -- softened

  3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon Flour, All-purpose

  3     tablespoons  Cocoa

  2 1/2 tablespoons  Powdered Sugar

                        Filling

  2     large  Eggs -- lightly beaten

  2/3 cup  Sugar

  1/3 cup  Light Corn Syrup

  2 2/3 tablespoons  Butter -- melted

  1/4 teaspoon  Vanilla Extract

  1/4 cup  Pecans -- finely chopped

  1/3 cup  Semi-sweet Mini Chocolate Chips

     PASTRY: 

·         Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy.  Combine flour, cocoa, and powdered sugar; stir well.  Gradually add flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating well.  Wrap dough in waxed paper and chill 2 hours or freeze until later.

·         Divide dough into balls, (I used a size 100 scoop), place in lightly greased 1 3/4" miniature muffin pans, shaping dough to make shells.  Prick bottom of each shell with a fork: cover and chill at least 1 hour, or freeze at this stage until ready to bake.

FILLING: 

·         Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stir well.  Add the pecans and mini-morsels; stir well.

·         Pour mixture into pastry shells, bake at 350° for 30 minutes until set.  Let cool 5 minutes in pans, let cool completely on wire racks.

Yield:  "24 each"

2010 Cost:  $2.19 or 10¢ each