Yummy Nut Tarts

Yummy nut tarts are the bite-sized cousin of pecan pie, the kind of cookie that disappears off a holiday platter before the photos get taken. They go by a few names, pecan tassies in the South, mini nut tarts in the North, but the bones are the same: a tender cream cheese crust pressed into mini muffin tins and filled with brown sugar and chopped nuts.

The crust is the magic move. Equal parts butter and cream cheese cut into flour gives you something flakier and more forgiving than a standard pie dough, with a slight tang that balances the sweet filling. No rolling, no chilling required, just press it into the tin and go.

For the filling, brown sugar is what makes these taste like little pecan pies. Beating eggs first keeps the filling light and airy, while a splash of melted butter and vanilla rounds out the flavor. Use a single nut if you like consistency, or mix pecans, walnuts, and almonds for a holiday-tin variety bite.

Fill cups about two-thirds full. The filling puffs slightly as it bakes and overflows if you go higher. Pull when light brown, and the centers will set as they cool.

Pro Tips

• Use mini muffin tins. Standard tins make tarts too heavy and the crust-to-filling ratio gets thrown off.
• Don’t grease the tins. The cream cheese dough has enough fat to release on its own.
• Toast the nuts in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 8 minutes before mixing into the filling. Untoasted nuts taste flat against the brown sugar.
• A little dusting of powdered sugar on top is optional but turns these from cookies to gift-tin treats.

Variations

• Swap brown sugar for maple syrup (use 2 cups) for a deeper, more aromatic filling.
• Use hazelnuts and add 1 tablespoon cocoa to the filling for a Nutella-style twist.
• Top each tart with a single chocolate chip just before baking for chocolate-pecan tassies.