Pecan Tassies: It Wouldn’t Be Christmas Without Them!

December 19, 2012 by 1 Comment

pecan tassies recipe

For our family, it wouldn’t be Christmas without these Pecan Tassies.  My grandmother made them and passed the recipe on down to my mom, and now I’m making them too.   Be warned:  it’s nearly impossible to eat just one!

Frugal Tips:  Don’t forget that you can store nuts in the freezer indefinitely.  It prevents the oils in them from becoming rancid and giving them a spoiled taste.  That said, you can save a lot by buying them in bulk and freezing what you can’t use right away.

Related Mommysavers Forum Conversation:  Fill in the blank:  It just wouldn’t be Christmas without _____________. 

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Pecan Tassies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 24
 
It just wouldn’t be Christmas without these treats.
Ingredients
  • ⅓ C. cream cheese
  • ½ C. butter, softened
  • 1 C. flour
  • 1 egg
  • ¾ C. brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • ⅔ C. pecans
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, mix cream cheese, butter, and flour. Refrigerate dough for one hour.
  2. Remove from refrigerator and press into mini tart pans (yield: 24). Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium saucepan, heat egg, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and pecans until bubbly. Remove from heat and spoon into tarts. Bake for 25 minutes

 

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Cranberry Orange Pinwheel Cookies

December 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment

cranberry orange pinwheel cookies

 

cranberry vaseFor some, it wouldn’t be Christmas without baking something with cranberries.  They’re colorful, tangy, and good for you to boot.  These Cranberry Orange Pinwheel Cookies are great to bring to a holiday cookie exchange.  The dough can be prepared days ahead of time, which is nice.

I like to use cranberries in decorating as well as baking.  If you’re entertaining, save some cranberries to make this cute candle holder.  I snipped some greens from a shrub in my front yard, layered with cranberries, and added water so they floated to the top.  Next, I added a tealight candle and a little red baker’s twine.  So simple, yet very frugal and pretty!

Frugal Tip:  Many people don’t realize that fresh cranberries can be frozen.  Cranberries are in season right now, so buy them on sale and freeze them for later!

This was originally posted here:  25 Days of Christmas Treats

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Cranberry Orange Pinwheel Cookies
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 24-30
 
These zesty pinwheel cookies are as pretty as they are delicious!
Ingredients
  • 1½ C. flour
  • ¼ tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • ½ C. butter, at room temperature
  • ¾ C. sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • ⅓ C. finely chopped fresh cranberries
  • ½ C. finely chopped pecans
  • 1 Tbsp. freshly grated orange zest
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, combine the first three dry ingredients. Set aside.
  2. Next, cream the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla together. Add dry ingredients until mixture forms a dough. Refrigerate one hour or more.
  3. In a small bowl, combine cranberries, pecans and orange zest.
  4. On a floured surface, roll the dough to a 10″ square. Sprinkle the cranberry/pecan mixture onto the dough, leaving about an inch on each of the ends. Press into dough slightly, then roll in a jelly-roll fashion. Wrap in wax paper and freeze 4 hours or overnight.
  5. Preheat oven to 375. Slice the dough in ¼″ rounds and place on a parchment-covered cookie sheet. Bake approximately 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

 

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