Every year at Christmas my mom makes pecan tassies. They’re like mini pecan pies to me, and I love them. This year we didn’t get very many pecan tassies at Christmas since it was more a chill year for my mom. But this past weekend she made me some for our monthly family fame night! I like to think it was for my upcoming birthday. Here’s the recipe. . .

• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup ground pecans
• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the dough: Process pecans in a food processor until finely ground set aside. cream cheese and butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until well blended. Add flour, ground pecans, and salt; mix just until dough comes together. Alternatively, stir together ingredients with a wooden spoon in a large bowl.
2. Roll dough into eighteen 1-inch balls, and press into bottoms and up sides of cups of mini-muffin tins.
3. Make the filling: Whisk the egg, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, butter, and salt in a small bowl. Stir in pecans. Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons filling into each muffin cup.
4. Bake pecan tassies until crust begins to turn golden, about 20-22 minutes. Let cool completely in tins on wire rack. Unmold. Pecan tassies can be stored in single layers in airtight containers up to 3 days.