I’m sure many of you are busy making Christmas cookies for gift giving this year. My kitchen resembles the aftermath of an edible dust storm, powdery and demolished, nearly every day.

I’ve made a lot of cookies so far this year, but the number one, most important, very best cookie on my list is the Tea Time Tassie. The Tea Time Tassie is like a bite-sized, miniature pecan pie.

A tender cream cheese dough is pressed into mini muffin tins and filled with a rich, buttery, pecan filling. These were my favorite cookies growing up and the first recipe I asked of my mom when baking away from home.

There are so many Christmas cookies to choose from, planning what to make can be somewhat disarming. A good cookie plate, similar to a cheese platter, should offer a variety of flavors, textures, and styles, so there is something for everyone.

If you’re in need of some inspiration, I recommend Rugelach, Trios, Chocolate Mint Thumbprints, Fruit and Nut Chocolate Bark (the recipe makes chunks, but I spread it thinly on a sheet pan to make bark), Chai Snickerdoodles, Vanilla Crescent Cookies, Lemon Creme Filled Ginger Sandwich Cookies, and, of course, these Tea Time Tassies.

Tea Time Tassies
Makes 24 cookies

1/4 lb butter, room temperature
3 oz package cream cheese, room temperature
1 C sifted all-purpose flour

3/4 C packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 Tbs butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans, divided
1/3 cup high-quality semi or bittersweet chocolate, shaved (optional)
24 pecan halves (optional)

Crust: Blend together cream cheese and butter. Add flour and blend until a smooth dough forms. Chill slightly, about 30 minutes, and shape into 2 dozen 1″ balls. Press dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 24-capacity mini muffin tin.

Filling: Beat brown sugar, egg, butter, vanilla, and pinch of salt together until smooth. Add 1/3 of the pecans to the filling and stir to combine.

Assembly: Preheat oven to 325. Take remaining 1/3 cup chopped nuts and divide evenly in bottom of prepared crusts. If using chocolate, divide the 1/3 cup coarsely chopped chocolate on top of nuts. Add the filling, being careful to fill just below rim of the crust. If you really love nuts, place a pecan half on top of the filling. Bake about 25 minutes, until cookies are golden brown and set. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, remove from tin, and cool on a wire rack.