Many years ago when I was a little girl my grandmother would make these “tiny pecan tarts.” My sister and I loved these little pies. One day I was getting recipes from grandmother and found the little gem, but it was called a Pecan Tassie. I learned that Tassie is a Scottish name for small tart or miniature pie. Perfectly named, these little tarts are like a perfect little bite size pie!
Brilliantly sweet pumpkin filling , praline topping and a flaky melt in your mouth buttery crust! Pumpkin Praline Tarts are perfect for the holidays, they just taste like fall!
Ingredients & Preparation
The Usual Suspects:
- Filling
- 1 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 egg, separated, room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1/8 cup sugar
- Tart Shells
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 (3-oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- Pralines
- 3 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup sweet popcorn glaze, caramel flavor or brown sugar
The Plan:
- To make dough:
- Combine flour, cream cheese and butter until well blended. Divide into 24 balls.
- Place balls into greased 1¾ inch tart pans, shaping each ball into a shell.
- Then set aside.
- To make filling:
- Combine pumpkin, brown sugar, butter, egg yolk, spices and salt in a large mixing bowl; beat until light and fluffy. Add evaporated milk; mix just until well blended.
- In a separate bowl: beat egg whites, at room temperature, until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into pumpkin mixture.
- Spoon filling into tart shells. Filling almost to the rim.
- Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes or until set.
- Sprinkle Pralines on top and press slightly to set them.
- To make Praline topping:
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Fill a small sauce pan with 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add pecans and let boil one minute. Strain the pecan and pour into a bowl.
- While still hot and moist from the water, toss in popcorn glaze or brown sugar and coat. You can add more or less, it’s a matter of taste.
- Spread the pecan mixture onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat.
- Let the pralines bake for about 30 to 45 minutes, turning frequently. You are not actually baking them, you are crisping the sugar. Don’t let them get hard in the oven. Bring them out and let them cool and crisp up, then break them apart and sprinkle on the pumpkin tarts. They will harden as they cool so do not overcook.
Pumpkin Praline Tarts
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Loading...Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 egg, separated, room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1/8 cup sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 (3-oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- Pralines
- 3 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup sweet popcorn glaze, caramel flavor or brown sugar
Instructions
To make dough:
Combine flour, cream cheese and butter until well blended. Divide into 24 balls.
Place balls into greased 1¾ inch tart pans, shaping each ball into a shell.
Then set aside.
To make filling:
Combine pumpkin, brown sugar, butter, egg yolk, spices and salt in a large mixing bowl; beat until light and fluffy. Add evaporated milk; mix just until well blended.
In a separate bowl: beat egg whites, at room temperature, until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into pumpkin mixture.
Spoon filling into tart shells. Filling almost to the rim.
Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes or until set.
Sprinkle Pralines on top and press slightly to set them.
To make Praline topping:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Fill a small sauce pan with 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add pecans and let boil one minute. Strain the pecan and pour into a bowl.
While still hot and moist from the water, toss in popcorn glaze or brown sugar and coat. You can add more or less, it’s a matter of taste.
Spread the pecan mixture onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat.
Let the pralines bake for about 30 to 45 minutes, turning frequently. You are not actually baking them, you are crisping the sugar. Don’t let them get hard in the oven. Bring them out and let them cool and crisp up, then break them apart and sprinkle on the pumpkin tarts. They will harden as they cool so do not overcook.
