[Ads-l] tassie (pastry, 1965)

[Laurence Horn]

> On Dec 16, 2023, at 3:07 PM, Barretts Mail <mail.barretts at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> Wiktionary (https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wiktionary.org%2Fwiki%2Ftassie&data=05%7C02%7Claurence.horn%40bulldogs.yale.edu%7Cc71df597e98244d6790508dbfe72bd59%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C638383540986596213%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=7AfNqkRp1Lfnx45PMXPCfBNK4ZZt1CWbU0i%2BZ1%2B8yzY%3D&reserved=0) has “tassie” meaning “a small tart or miniature pie” but no citations. 
> 
> I looked at several tassie recipes, and they all have a crust that starts out with shortening (butter) and cream cheese (one including marscapone as an alternative). 
> 
> The OED, Merriam-Webster (https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.merriam-webster.com%2Fdictionary%2Ftassie&data=05%7C02%7Claurence.horn%40bulldogs.yale.edu%7Cc71df597e98244d6790508dbfe72bd59%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C638383540986596213%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=tZhKtQFYk8QB%2FsIRw1ZBfBkXtX4F52HRYZFIf9YwTPs%3D&reserved=0) and Dictionary.com (https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dictionary.com%2Fbrowse%2Ftassie&data=05%7C02%7Claurence.horn%40bulldogs.yale.edu%7Cc71df597e98244d6790508dbfe72bd59%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C638383540986596213%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=3GO70ezBCZRfWB7qOP8tta10hdvzxv%2FkHfKmkRBf49Y%3D&reserved=0) all have “tassie" as a Scottish word for a small tass, or cup, but miss the tart meaning.
> 
> Golden tassies have been a part of my Christmas for as long as I can remember and I began making them this year for the holidays.
> 
> Google has a number of hits from the 1950s and 1960s but nearly all have no preview available. 
> 
> In February 1965, the Maple Syrup Digest (p 12) published a recipe for maple tassies. Surely this dessert must have been around before 1965 if it made it to an industry publication. 
> https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.maplesyrupdigest.org%2F%3Fm%3D196502&data=05%7C02%7Claurence.horn%40bulldogs.yale.edu%7Cc71df597e98244d6790508dbfe72bd59%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C638383540986596213%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qUmL%2BUX1xiziXoY5lGUf%2FdD4TcNPzgucNjbzo%2BXya%2Fk%3D&reserved=0
> 
> ###
> Pastry
> 1 cup butter or margarine
> Two 3 oz. packages cream cheese
> 2 ½ cups flour
> ½ tea. salt
> Filling
> 1½ cups chopped pecans
> 1½ cups maple syrup
> 2 tbsp. melted butter
> ¼ tsp. salt
> 1 tsp. vanilla (optional)
> ###
> ###
> 
> Interestingly, this recipe has the same call for two 3-oz packages of cream cheese as in my family recipe. Maybe it is/was a common size. 
> 

I don’t know if it’s still true, but in the old days (1950s), the choice for Kraft’s Philadelphia Cream Cheese was between little 3 oz. packages or standard 8 oz. packages.  I suppose in Philadelphia, it’s just called cream cheese.  

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