Mini Pecan Tarts

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and ensure it's at the correct temperature before proceeding.

Next, lightly coat two mini tart pans with a thin layer of cooking spray to prevent the pastry from sticking.

Make the pastry dough by creaming together softened butter and softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer until you achieve a smooth consistency. Gradually incorporate flour into the mixture, blending it to form a cohesive dough.

Divide the dough into 48 equal portions and shape each portion into a small ball. Place one ball in each greased cup of the mini tart pans, using your fingers or a pastry tamper to gently press it into a shell shape.

Make the filling by cracking eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisking them together. Add brown sugar, chopped pecans, melted butter, vanilla extract, and salt to the bowl; mix everything together until you achieve a well-combined mixture. Spoon this filling into each prepared tart shell, leaving about 3/4 of the shell empty.

Place the tarts in a preheated oven and bake until they're golden brown, taking about 30 minutes to achieve this. Remove the tarts from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.