Pecans caramelize and crystallize to form pecan tassies.
Essentially small, cookie-shaped pecan tarts, pecan tassies are sweet, single-serving or bite-sized snacks that can be made at home or store-bought. They are commonly served at Christmas celebrations in the United States. Like pecan pie, pecan tassies are made from a pastry dough filled with pudding or cream and topped with caramelized candied pecans. They usually have a bottom crust and no top crust, similar to tarts. When eaten, the crispy crust and sugar-caramelized pecans give way to a soft, sweet center.
Pecans are nuts that grow in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Walnut tassies are a popular party snack and store well in the freezer. Since they don’t have a top crust, walnut tassies are often considered small cakes. They are also commonly called pecan pie pies, mini pecan pie pies, or tartlets. While pecan tassies can be made at home, they are more commonly seen in the bakery section or snack section of the supermarket. They usually come in plastic containers that hold each individual small pie to keep the pie shape and crust intact.
When made at home, pecan tassies are usually shaped with crust formers called mini tart formers, which create the little cart crusts that hold the pecans and filling. Crusts for pecan tassies are similar to pie crusts and usually contain ingredients like flour, sugar, and salt with cream cheese and butter. They are baked in the oven until the pastry crust and nutty sugar are golden brown and the soft filling is fully cooked and hot. These candies are chilled before serving or stored in the fridge or freezer.
The ingredients used to make the pie filling in tassies can vary, but include sugar, corn syrup, and eggs, as well as nuts and vanilla flavoring. To create the filling, beaten eggs are gently scrambled into a mixture of melted butter, sugar, and salt. The result is a pourable liquid that turns into a sweet, custard-like filling when cooked.
Pecans are nuts that grow naturally in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. There are many varieties of walnut trees, some of which are extremely large and can grow larger than a two-story house. The pecan is the official tree of the state of Texas in the United States.