Ingredients
PASTRY DOUGH
8 tbsp butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sifted a-p soft wheat flour
FILLING
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
Directions
Prehead oven to 325F. Mix together the butter and cream cheese in a
small bowl or food processor. Add the flour and blend thoroughly.
Divide and shape into 30 balls. Wrap all 30 balls together in plastic
wrap and chill slightly. Place each ball in a tiny ungreased fluted
tart pan or muffin cup. Line the pans by pressing the dough with
your fingertips against the bottoms and sides. For the filling, place
half the pecans in the dough-lined pan. Beat together the egg,
sugar, butter, vanilla, sand salt until all lumps are gone. Pour the
egg mixture onto the pecan topped dough. Dot with the remaining
pecans. Bake for 25 minutes or until the filling is set. Cool 5
minutes on a rack and remove from the pans before they are cool, as
the caramel will set. These tiny tarts freeze easily.
Servings: 30 servings
Pecan Tassies Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Nut; Pecan
The History of Recipes
We can follow the history of `recipes` way back into history, in fact as far into history as early Egypt, and maybe even further. Having said that, sadly, these old records were just primitive hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for food preparation.
In fact, the oldest recipe in existence, according to historians are some ancient tablets in Sumerian which show the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making those who drank it feel `wonderful`. Progressing into Roman times around 25BC a roman called Apicius created a few documents detailing recipes prepared by the Romans. In his scrolls, he tells us how the roman meals were separated into hors d`oeuvres, main meal and desserts, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. Additionally, he tells us how the chefs of Roman times were skilled in the use of a good variety of herbs and spices, including a few that are still present in modern kitchens for example thyme, mint and asafoetida. Later on, there were a couple of cookery books from the fourteenth century ; one book titled `Forme of Cury`, and another titled `Curye on Inglish`. Perhaps surprisingly, these books have no connection with the indian curry that is served today, but rather recipes for the types of meals on the tables of the rich people of that period. Later on in the 1400s, people returning from the crusades brought us a variety of foods, spices and herbs from Arab countries, including parsley and basil. These new foods and spices created an explosion in books on cookery, some of which are now in private collections. The introduction of the TV gave us TV cooks and the spin-off recipe books. Which pretty much brings us up to date and the invention of computers and the internet, allowing everyone to access massive numbers of recipes such as those found on our web site. |
We hope you enjoy this Pecan Tassies recipe.
