Pecan Toffees: Cookie Palooza part III

This is a recipe I received from a co-worker over 15 years ago. These bite size tarts are like a mini pecan pie. I have of course added my own touch, the original did not have pecans. The crust this recipe uses is great as well, but I have used the filling in pastry dough and it is wonderful.

Ingredients:
Crust:
8 ounces of butter softened
6 ounces of cream cheese softened
2 C flour

Filling:
2 eggs
1 1/2 C brown sugar
2 T melted butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C finely chopped pecans
you can also add a splash of Kalua along with the vanilla flavoring
powdered sugar for dusting

Preparation:
Beat butter and cream cheese together, add flour and mix until it forms a soft dough. Break off small pieces, (about a tsp.) of dough and form into mini muffin tins, pressing dough up the sides of the tin.
In another bowl, beat eggs with melted butter, sugar, flavoring and pecans. Scoop filling into prepared muffin tins about 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees, approximately 17 minutes. Allow to cool, remove from pan and dust with powdered sugar.
For pecan pastry, cut pastry dough with 3 inch fluted square. Cut half of these squares again with a 2 inch fluted square, you will have a sort of picture frame piece of dough, this will top each solid square and hold the filling on the pastry. Place solid squares on a parchment lined baking sheet and moisten each edge with water. Place the pastry that has the center cut out on top of the solid square and press lightly to seal. Spoon a small amount of pecan filling onto the center of the pastry "frame". At this point the pastries may be frozen and baked at will.
Bake at the same temperature for approximately the same amount of time, (15-20 min.) the pastry will puff and become golden. These are also great dusted with powdered sugar. You can always do a free form tart, rolling the dough in a circle or rectangle, curl the edges to create a lip and fill with some of the pecan filling, bake, cool and then cut into pieces to serve. This is a great rustic/easy option, still equally as delicious!