As I mentioned in my Grandma Cookies blog post, my grandmother’s thing was definitely Christmas cookies. This time of year was truly her time to shine. Her cookie platters piled high with different shapes – discs, balls, slices… and some mini pies? Yes! These “mini pies” are Tea Time Tassies, and at their core they are just a bite-sized pecan pie.
My Christmas cookie boxes always include tea time tassies
As a kid, I skipped these cookies and opted for ones iced, dipped in chocolate, or rolled in powdered sugar. For some reason in my head I deemed Tea Time Tassies as cookies that only grown-ups would enjoy. Oddly enough, this is also how I felt about oatmeal raisin cookies, but at 33 years old, I can confidently say I still hate raisins.
Skipping them, however, was an error in my childhood judgement because these cookies are damn delicious. You have all the elements of a pecan pie that you can easily eat in one small, yummy bite. No long bake times or messy pie slicing required! This is from my grandmother’s archive, and it originally called for walnuts, but have you ever heard of walnut pie? Yeah, me either.
For these bite-sized Tea Time Tassies, consider a mini muffin tin
The only “special” item you need to make these are mini muffin pans (like this one from Michaels). If you don’t have or want them, you may be able to try with a standard cupcake tin, but it won’t yield as many and you’ll have to adjust your baking time from what I have noted below. No matter which way you try these Tea Time Tassies, I’d love to hear how they turn out. Leave me a comment below if you do decide to give these yummy bites a go!
Tea Time Tassie | Christmas Cookie Recipe
At its core, a Tea Time Tassie is just a mini pecan pie. While we love the classic comfort of a regulra pecan pie, these are a wonderful bite-sized alternative that are small enough to cater to a larger crowd & an adorable addition to any holiday cookie platter!
Put all dough ingredients into a bowl and work with your hands until a shaggy dough starts to come together.
Remove dough from bowl and place on a lightly floured surface & continue to work until a dough ball forms, then wrap in plastic wrap & chill in fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 375ºF and spray (or oil) mini cupcake tins, and set aside.
Once dough has chilled, remove from fridge & place on a floured surface. Then roll with a rolling pin until until thin, about 1/8 inch.
With a small round cookie cutter,or top of a small glass, cut out circles & place each circle into your mini cupcake tin. It should come up & over the the sides just a small amount, similar to a normal pie dough in a pie tin.
Poke holes in the bottom of your mini pie dough with a fork, then par-bake in the oven for 6 minutes. Remove and let cool.
In a stand mixer, start your filling by beating your egg, then add brown sugar, vanilla, & salt and mix well.
Once mixed, add in your pecans (or walnuts) on your slowest speed (or fold in with a spatula by hand) until just combined.
Place a small spoonful of the filling into each mini-pie crust. Careful not to overfill! Then bake in the oven for 18 minutes or until filling becomes more solidified.
Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing the pies from the tins. Enjoy!
