This story was first published in the October 2025 issue of The Best Years as “Community Cookbook: Make pecan tassies and kolackys with Mary Rowe of Marble Hill, Mo.”
Mary Rowe of Marble Hill, Mo., grew up the fourth child out of 10. Since her father was in the Navy, they often moved throughout the United States, landing in Virginia, Tennessee, Rhode Island and Illinois. Rowe says if their home had just one table, they ate in shifts, with the little kids eating first and the big kids paired behind them to help them eat. From a young age, she remembers being involved with potty training, child-rearing and anything in the kitchen.
“My mom and grandmother were both very good bakers,” Rowe says. “And my favorite thing was baking, so I got to make desserts. I liked doing the dishes, so they let me cook, because they knew I’d clean up.”
Rowe’s grandmother Josephine Menark Bubulka moved to the United States from the former Czechoslovakia when she was just eight years old. As Rowe grew up, she says Granny Josephine made traditional dessert recipes like pecan tassies and kolacky when she came to visit. She always stored her baked goods in tins.
“Back then, that’s what they had; no tupperware, no plastic, no disposable,” Rowe says. “Tins remind me of Granny, so I still collect them today. I have a tote of Christmas tins, fall tins, nonseasonal. And I just bought a Quaker Oats tin this week.”
Rowe says she most likely has approximately 100 tins, which she, too, uses to store baked goods. Her freezer is currently full of cupcake-filled tins for her son’s upcoming wedding reception. She also makes birthday cakes for each of her 12 grandchildren and says her cheesecake recipe could compete with anyone’s. But on holidays like Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving, Rowe likes to bake the pecan tassies and kolackys she remembers from her childhood.
Pecan tassies, known in her family as “nut cups,” taste similar to pecan pie bites, but without corn syrup. Since Rowe is allergic to corn, this has been a great alternative. Plus, the dough used for nut cups is the same dough for kolackys, a flower-shaped pastry cookie, so they are easy to make at the same time. Once the dough is mixed, Rowe puts it in the refrigerator for one hour, or overnight.
“I double each recipe, which is really four in one batch,” Rowe says. “Because I can do that much in the mixer. You’ll end up with leftover cream cheese, but we’ve just learned to throw it in, and maybe add some more flour.”
Rowe recommends making one batch for those trying it for the first time. She says it’s important to know what the dough feels like before making a large batch. For the kolackys, she uses the Solo brand pastry filling, because it’s thick enough to stay in the center of the cookie and doesn’t make a mess in the oven. While her family likes apricot, other varieties, like raspberry or poppyseed, are available, too.
Rowe says she’s always been more of a baker than an entree-maker, but growing up in a large family taught her how to feed a crowd. A retired librarian from the Leopold School District, Rowe often uses her baking skills to feed and encourage others outside of her family. Once a month, she gathers with women in the Birthright Mom’s Club for a community meal and educational activity. She’s also on the casserole ministry at Crossroads Church in Jackson, Mo., and the point person for CarePortal, a platform that connects caring people to families in crisis.
“Between the grandkids and volunteering, I don’t know that I quit working,” Rowe says. “But I love it. I keep thinking I’ll do more when life slows down, but it never does.”
Dough for Pecan Tassies and Kolackys
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ pound (2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
½ teaspoon baking powder
4 teaspoons powdered sugar
Filling for Pecan Tassies
Ingredients:
2 eggs
¾ cup brown sugar
4 Tablespoons melted butter
2 cups chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
Filling for Kolacky
Ingredients:
Solo apricot cake and pastry filling
Additional sprinkled powdered sugar
Directions for Pecan Tassies
Combine all of the dough ingredients and chill for at least one hour. Dough should not be sticky, but should form into a smooth ball. Roll the dough into a ball the size of a walnut. Press the dough into a mini muffin pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Ensure the dough is even on the bottom and sides. Mix pecan ingredients and fill dough cups ¾ full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the outside rims are a light tan. After they cool for 10 minutes, turn the pan upside down to remove pecan tassies. If any stick to the pan, gently run a knife along the edges and try again. Cool completely and dust with powdered sugar.
Directions for Kolacky
Dust a flat surface with powdered sugar and roll the dough about a quarter of an inch thick. Cut dough with a flower-shaped or circle cookie cutter. Using your thumb, make an indentation in the center of the cookie. Spoon a teaspoon of Solo filling into the center of the cookie. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, and remove from the pan. Cool completely and dust with powdered sugar.
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