My mom was a fan of pecans. One of the cookies she would make at Christmas time was Pecan Tassies, a bite-sized Scottish cookie which consists of cup shaped pastries filled with a gooey pecan filling. I remember watching her make them when I was little and eventually helping her make them as I got older.

This version of tassies (Scottish for “small cup”) is a tropical variation. The pecan filling is replaced with a combination of pineapple and coconut. Mini muffin tins are used to form the cups which are then filled with the island flavors mixture and baked.

The result is small tart-like cookies, perfectly bite-sized with the classic creamy & sweet flavor of coconut and pineapple. They are infused with additional tropical flair from the chopped macadamia nuts added into the filling.

Pineapple Coconut Tassies

Pineapple Coconut Tassies (adapted from tasteofhome.com)  Total Time Required: 1 hour 30 minutes, Prep Time: 40 minutes, Bake Time: 20 minutes/batch + cooling time, Makes: 40 cookies

Ingredients:

Cookie Cups:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (6 tablespoons) cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:

• 1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup pineapple ice cream topping
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Icing:

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 teaspoon Malibu Rum or coconut extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and confectioners’ sugar together until light and fluffy, 5 – 7 minutes.

Cream together the butter and confectioners’ sugar.

Beat in the vanilla. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the creamed mixture.

Gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls.

Shape the dough into about 40 balls.

Flatten the dough balls into discs and press them evenly into the bottom and up the sides of 40 – 45 greased mini muffin cup wells.

Flatten the dough balls into discs and press them into the mini muffin cup wells.

In a small bowl, mix together the coconut, pineapple topping, sugar, macadamia nuts, egg, and cornstarch.

Combine the filling ingredients.

Place 1 – 2 teaspoons of filling in each cup.

Place some filling into each cookie cup.

Bake the tassies until the edges are golden and the filling is puffed, 20 – 25 minutes. Cool the cookie cups in the pans for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the tassies to wire racks to cool.

Bake the filled cookie cups.

In a small bowl, combine the icing ingredients. Drizzle the icing over the tassies when they are cool and allow them to dry completely.

Combine the icing ingrecients and drizzle it over the cooled cookies.

Keep the cookie cups at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

These are topical delights!

These cookies taste like a visit to Hawai’i!  ~Linda

Pineapple Coconut Tassies (adapted from tasteofhome.com)  Total Time Required: 1 hour 30 minutes, Prep Time: 40 minutes, Bake Time: 20 minutes/batch + cooling, Makes: 40 cookies

Ingredients:

Cookie Cups:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (6 tablespoons) cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:

• 1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup pineapple ice cream topping
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Icing:

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 teaspoon Malibu Rum or coconut extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and confectioners’ sugar together until light and fluffy, 5 – 7 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Flatten the dough balls into discs and press them evenly into the bottom and up the sides of 40 – 45 greased mini muffin cup wells.

In a small bowl, mix together the coconut, pineapple topping, sugar, macadamia nuts, egg, and cornstarch. Place 1 – 2 teaspoons of filling in each cup. Bake the tassies until the edges are golden and the filling is puffed, 20 – 25 minutes. Cool the cookie cups in the pans for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the tassies to wire racks to cool.

In a small bowl, combine the icing ingredients. Drizzle the icing over the tassies when they are cool and allow them to dry completely. Keep the cookie cups at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.