It’s Called a Tassie, M’ Lassie

Flipping through an old Southern cookbook a few days ago, I came upon a recipe for “tassies.” The word “tassie” is defined as a cup in the dictionary, and the tassies described in my book were little individual pastry cups filled with a mixture of nuts, sugar and eggs. Immediately, I began to think of variations.

I experimented with several fillings, finally settling on one made with chopped walnuts, chopped semisweet chocolate, sugar and eggs. The crusts for the tarts, which are baked in mini-muffin tins, are prepared with a dough of flour, butter and cream cheese; the dough is simply pressed into the molds rather than being rolled out. The tassies, served either warm or at room temperature, are delicious garnished with a small dollop of rum-scented whipped cream.

For a big gathering you could make several batches (a single recipe yields 24) of the tassies, mound them on a serving plate and offer them with a bowl of the whipped cream and a basket of fresh strawberries. The tarts, small enough so that they can be eaten out of hand without a fork, would make a memorable ending for any important spring gathering.

WALNUT AND CHOCOLATE TASSIES WITH RUM-SCENTED CREAM

CRUST

1 cup flour

Dash salt

1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

3 ounces light cream cheese, chilled and cut into small pieces

Combine flour and salt in bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade. Add butter and cream cheese and process, pulsing machine on and off until mixture resembles oatmeal flakes, several seconds. (Alternatively, place ingredients in mixing bowl and use pastry blender or 2 table knives to cut butter and cream cheese into flour until mixture resembles oatmeal flakes.)

Place mixture on lightly floured work surface and gather together small amount to form into ball. Smear ball of dough onto work surface with heel of hand and repeat technique (which will ensure even blending of fat and flour) with remaining mixture. Gather dough into single mass and flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or longer.

When ready to bake, divide dough into 24 pieces. Place each piece into greased mini-muffin pan. Press dough firmly onto bottom and sides to form tart shells.

FILLING

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup sugar

1 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 large egg plus 1 egg white, lightly beaten together

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 1/2 teaspoons light brown sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons dark rum

Mix together nuts, sugar, chocolate and eggs in small bowl. Divide mixture among tart shells.

Bake tarts at 350 degrees until crusts are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool 5 minutes, then unmold. Tarts can be served warm or cool. (Tarts can be made 1 day ahead. Keep in airtight container at room temperature.)

When ready to serve, whip cream until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in brown sugar. Stir in rum. Whip until firm peaks form. Transfer to serving bowl. Arrange tarts on serving plate along with bowl of whipped cream.

Makes 24 tarts.

Each serving contains about:

129 calories; 70 mg sodium; 29 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.20 gram fiber.