1. Prepare the Oven and Filling

• Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
• In a medium bowl, combine 2 eggs, light brown sugar, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until smooth.
• Stir in the chopped pecans, being careful not to overmix. Overmixing can result in a foamy filling, which we want to avoid.
• Refrigerate the filling mixture until ready to use.

2. Make the Nut Cup Dough

• In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and cream cheese. You can do this using a fork, just as Gram did, or a mixer if you prefer!
• Once combined, add in the flour and mix with a rubber spatula until it comes together into a dough.
• At this stage, finish mixing the dough by hand. This ensures everything is incorporated without overworking the dough, which can result in a tough crust.

3. Shape the Dough

You have two options for shaping your dough, depending on how rustic or neat you want the cups to look:

Option 1:

• Use your fingers to press enough dough into each cavity of a mini muffin tin. Be sure the dough is evenly distributed across the bottom and sides.
• Add more dough if you prefer a thicker crust, or less if the tin cavities are small.

Option 2:

• Roll the dough out to a thickness of about ¼ inch.
• Use a round cookie cutter (about 3 inches in diameter) to cut out circles of dough.
• Press the dough circles into each muffin tin cavity, ensuring they fit snugly.

4. Fill the Nut Cups

• Spoon the chilled pecan filling into each dough-lined cup, filling it all the way to the rim (about 1-2 teaspoons of filling per cup).

5. Brush with Egg Wash

• Crack the third reserved egg into a small bowl and scramble it.
• Brush the top of each filled nut cup with the egg wash, focusing on the crust. This will give the tassies a golden, shiny finish as they bake.

6. Bake and Serve

• Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set.
• Allow the pecan tassies to cool slightly before using a thin metal spatula or knife to gently remove them from the muffin tin.
• Serve warm, or allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.