March 19, 2013
Hey!! Thanks to you guys who left those great Washington D.C. recommendations yesterday! You gave me so many things to google and put down on our list. They all sound really fun. If you think of any more, just keep them coming. I think we're just going to have to do everything. :) 

(my view last Sunday morning) 

I'll tell you a secret: we never took took down the Christmas lights in our bedroom. They've been up all these weeks.. months. We just love plugging them in for a mellow light first thing in the morning. And of course, it's still very much winter here, so it does look a little Christmasy. And when I make my licorice spice tea, it even smells a little Christmasy. And I made pecan tassies last week to kick off the weekend, so now it even tastes like Christmas. Grant came home from work on Friday and ate half of the teeny pecan pies immediately. A pretty good sign. I never got around to making these traditional Christmas treats during the holidays this year, but I think I might like them even better in March. Now that I'm reminded of how delicious they are, I'm of the opinion that these incredible pie bites shouldn't be lost amongst other holiday goodies- they can stand on their own feet. They're sooooo good! Rich and nutty and slightly sweet. There's cream cheese in that crust, guys. I bet you can't eat just one.


I adapted my sister-in-law's good recipe to suit what ingredients I had on hand and to make them gluten-free. Let it be known: butter and cream cheese are rampant here, so these are not dairy free like a lot of my other desserts. Like this cake, or this cake, or these cookies, or these bars. Which are all gluten and dairy free.


Pecan Tassies (with gluten-free variation)
adapted from Heidi's recipe

1/2 cup butter 
3 oz. softened cream cheese 
1/4 tsp. salt (if using salted butter, you can decrease this to 1/8 tsp.) 
1 cup flour* 

Filling
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup coconut sugar 
1 T. melted butter
pinch of sea salt

Beat butter and cream cheese until well mixed. Add salt and flour and mix well. Roll into nickle-sized balls and press into a mini muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Combine filling ingredients and fill par baked crusts. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with extra sea salt. Makes 24 tassies. 

*For gluten-free tassies, start with a scant 3/4 cup rice flour. Test the dough with your fingers to see if it will be workable. Add more flour if needed, up to 1 cup total. I was using sprouted rice flour, which soaks up a bit more moisture than un-sprouted flour. I used just under 3/4 cup and my dough was pretty crumbly. It didn't roll into balls, but I could press it into the tins just fine. They turned out great! 


If you were going to make a Christmas cookie when it's not Christmastime, what would you make?





7 comments:

Maggie Mizelle said...

Just remembered another DC rec - eat Ethiopian food in the U street area. It's gluten free and perfect for little kids!

Michelle said...

D.C. is on my list of places to get back to, I'm bookmarking this page, thanks!

Unknown said...

Fully embracing this "Christmasy" weather in MN, too!! My mama and I whipped up some molasses cookies last weekend, which ultimately put us in the caroling mood. : )

Anonymous said...

Summer, we had a big snowstorm here in Vermont yesterday. It's a winter wonderland here on this first day of Spring!

Loving your new header--very much!
xo

Nicole said...

These look so good! Like mini pecan pies!

sarah {on the brightside...} said...

Christmas in March is okay in my book!! I still have white Christmas lights around my bed too... They might just have to stay up & be my little bit of Christmas all year long! Hehe!

Your Pecan Tassies look really yummy!! I have been wanting to make Soft Molasses Cookies lately... I usually only make them in the fall & for Christmas, but they are my favorite! :)

Renee said...

these are sooo good! anyone reading this NEEDS to make them! no matter what time of year! Here's to the first day of spring!

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about this blog

Hello, I'm Summer. A people-loving introvert whose hope and life is in Jesus. His promises are my passion and my ministry is homelife. This blog is a place for me to write about everyday things. Especially food. My favorite thing to do is sit around a table, lingering over a long meal with good conversation. I live with my husband and our 2 littles. We like blizzards, thrifting, grammar, guacamole, cheerful hearts, nice manners, good movies, and making simple, real, nutrient-dense food.

"If Christ be anything, He must be everything."
-C.H. Spurgeon

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