Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the chopped pecans and toast for about 10 minutes until golden brown, stirring frequently.
• Meanwhile, make the crusts. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add the flour and salt and beat until well combined. Take a heaping tablespoon of dough and press into and up the sides of each mini muffin cup.
• To make the filling, in a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, light corn syrup, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir in the toasted pecans until well coated. Spoon about a tablespoon of filling into each crust, filling it about ¾ full. Try not to overfill the crusts, as the filling will bubble over when they are baking. Don’t worry…you’ll be adding more filling after they bake!
• Bake the bites for about 15 minutes or until the crusts just start to brown. Remove from the oven and let set for about 5 minutes before scooping another tablespoon of filling onto each bite. Let bites cool in pan completely before removing.