Mini Pecan Pumpkin Pies

• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, plus 24 pecan halves for garnish
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree or pumpkin pie filling
• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• mini muffin tins
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup flour (all-purpose)
• 1/4 cup pecans
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons margarine (use cold sticks) Use butter if serving with a dairy meal.
• 2 tablespoons cold water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the mini muffin tins with cooking spray. To make the dough: In a food processor, pulse the pecans with the sugar, salt and flour, until the pecans are ground up and the ingredients are mixed. Add in the COLD margarine, and pulse until the dough becomes coarse. Slowly pour in the cold water through the feed tube of the processor, pulsing until the dough comes together. Remove the dough from the processor bowl and place on a clean, floured work surface. Form the dough into a ball and divide evenly into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and press into the cups in the muffin tins, (press evenly until the bottom of each cup is covered). TIP: If the dough is sticky as you work with it, dip your fingers in flour. Bake 15-18 minutes, until the crusts are golden. Check every so often to ensure they don't get too brown. For the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and yolk with the dark corn syrup, sugar, pumpkin puree and vanilla. Stir in the chopped pecans. Remove the crusts from the oven and place 1 tablespoon of filling into each cup. Top each with 1 pecan half. Return the muffin tins to the oven and continue baking for 12-15 minutes, until the filling is set. Allow to cool before removing from the tins.