TO MAKE THE PASTRY - Beat softened butter with cream cheese in a medium sized dish, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until it gets light and fluffy, then add flour and mix  at low  only to combine. The dough will be very soft and sticky.

Make a ball out of it, place it on a wax paper, then place another wax paper on top of it, so that the dough is placed between two sheets of wax paper. Roll the dough with a rolling pin to 1 inch thick, then cut into 24 pieces and chill in the fridge for an hour. You can cut it with a pizza cutter.

Next, spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray and set aside. Take the dough out of the fridge and roll the cut pieces with your hands to make balls. Try not to hold the balls of dough in your hands for too long, because they can soften.

Finally press the dough with wooden tart tamper so that it covers the bottom and the sides of a mini muffin cup. You can do it with your hands, in that case try to be really quick, otherwise the dough will soften. In case that happens, put it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Repeat the same procedure if necessary. Put it back in the freezer while making pecan filling. 

Preheat oven to 350 F.

TO MAKE PECAN FILLING - Start by beating an egg lightly in a medium bowl, then add light brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon and salt and keep mixing until it’s well combined, then add ½ a cup of chopped pecans and fold to combine. Divide the filling among the mini muffin cups, using mini cookie scoop to place the filling.

Finally, sprinkle with remaining cut or whole pecans and bake for 20-22 minutes   or until the dough gets brown on the edges and the center is set. Finally, take them out of the oven and leave in a muffin tin for 10 minutes, then take them out carefully with a knife and place on a cooling rack.