Apple Pecan Tassies
Jennifer McHenry shows us that baking can be quick, easy and fun in her book, Quick-Shop-&-Prep 5 Ingredient Baking. This Apple Pecan Tassies recipe makes adorable tiny pies, or maybe they are pastries…or tarts? No matter, they are homespun and elegant all at once and perfect for fall when apples are at their peak. Check out her Coffee Caramel Chocolate Poke Cake as well.
Excerpted from Quick-Shop-&-Prep 5 Ingredient Baking
When I met my husband, Quinn, I often unintentionally amused him with my use of southern colloquialisms. I remember baking a batch of mini pecan pies and referring to them as pecan tassies. He had never heard that term, and I was so surprised that a word I knew so well could be so foreign to him. Regardless of its regional origins, I still refer to little pies as tassies. It just seems like the perfect word for these mini treats. With this recipe, I took the idea of pecan tassies and added some elements of another classic pie with apples and cinnamon.
- 1¼cups (150 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
- 3 to 4 tbsp (45 to 60 ml) cold water
- 2 medium apples, cored and diced
- 3 tbsp (38 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter
- 2 tsp (5 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp (4 g) ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (60 g) pecans, chopped
- TO MAKE THE BASIC BUTTER PIE CRUST: Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or a fork until the largest pieces of butter are about the size of large peas. Add the water, about a tablespoon (15 ml) at a time, and mix until a dough forms.
- Shape the dough into a ball, place on a sheet of plastic wrap, and flatten slightly into a disk about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease 24 mini muffin cups.
- Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a circle ⅛ inch (0.3 cm) thick. Using a 2¼-inch (5.7-cm) cutter, cut the dough into 24 rounds. Fit the crusts into the prepared muffin cups. Gather the remaining dough and re-roll. Use a sharp knife to cut forty-eight 1¼ x ¼-inch (3 x 0.6-cm) strips for topping the pies.
- TO MAKE THE FILLING: Combine the apples, sugar, butter, flour, cinnamon and salt in a medium saucepan or skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has thickened. Stir in the pecans.
- Divide the filling among the pie crusts, filling to the top of the crusts. Top each with two pie crust strips.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crusts are lightly browned. Allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then transfer the pies to a wire rack to cool completely.
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