When fall baking season finally graces us with its warm spices and cozy flavors, it can be hard to choose what to make first. You’ll certainly be marking off certain classic fall desserts from your list, including various pies and Bundts. However, we’d rather make the case for a vintage fall treat that our readers hail as one of our best recipes ever, stemming all the way back to their 1970s Southern Living cookbooks.
If you’ve never made them, you’ve definitely tasted them—and most likely loved them. Here’s why you should add Pecan Tassies to your fall lineup.
Credit:
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
What Are Pecan Tassies?
At first glance, classic pecan tassies look something akin to a teeny-tiny pecan pie, perfectly bite-sized and studded with Southerners’ favorite nut. However, this vintage treat actually lands somewhere between pecan pie and a shortbread cookie, making it ideal for baking and gifting to others—or simply setting out as a snack at your home from fall through the holidays. “Tassie” is a Scottish word for cup, which these little baked treats appear as.
You likely remember it from fall dessert spreads and holiday parties of decades past, but they’re just as crowd-pleasing today, despite having fallen slightly in popularity amongst cookie tins. (To our utter reproach!) Plus, our recipe, which is as classic as it gets, has raked in rave reviews amongst readers to boot.
The Southern Secret To Perfect Pecan Tassies
The biggest complaint that many make about pecan pie is that the filling-to-crust ratio is off. The most common complaint about shortbread cookies is that they can be too dry or crumbly. Our pecan tassies perfectly balance the two delicacies with a thick, buttery layer of crust and warm, nutty filling. It stays moist and pecan-studded on the inside, but firm enough to grab thanks to the crust.
Moreover, Southern bakers have been perfecting this treat for generations, and our recipe masters the most classic version, staying largely the same since its first appearances in our annual Southern Living cookbooks as early as the 1960s and 1970s.
Credit: Micah A. Leal
Why Reviewers Love This Recipe
“I simply adore this recipe that I’ve favored since buying my Southern Living cookbook years ago. I like the petite amount, so everyone can have a taste.”
“A delicious bite-sized treat made more scrumptious with a splash of bourbon!”
“My Mom found this recipe in a Southern Living magazine from the late ’70’s early ’80’s. We made these ‘tassies’ every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas (she would quadruple the recipe to give them as gifts)…One of the BEST recipes from Southern Living ever.”
“I made these tonight and they are the perfect size and delicious. I’m taking them to a work Christmas party. I love that they aren’t too sweet. Just right.”
It’s high-time to learn this classic treat. It’s a hit at any occasion.
Dining and Cooking