Pecan Valley Pecans

1 9-inch pie shell; unbaked
½ cup unsalted butter or margarine; melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
4 eggs; beaten
3 tablespoons rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Halves

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine butter, sugar, and corn syrup; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Cool slightly. Add eggs, rum, vanilla, and salt to mixture; mix well. Pour filling into unbaked pastry shell, and top with pecan halves.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 ounce cream cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour; sifted
⅔ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1 egg
¾ cups brown sugar; firmly packed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
⅛ teaspoon sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. Mix together the butter and cream cheese in a small bowl or food processor. Add the flour and blend thoroughly. Divide and shape into 30 balls. Wrap all 30 balls together in plastic wrap and chill slightly.
3. Place each ball in a tiny ungreased fluted tart pan or muffin cup. Line the pans by pressing the dough with your fingertips against the bottoms and sides.
4. For the filling, place half the pecans in the dough-lined pan. Beat together the egg, granulated sugar, butter, vanilla, sand salt until all lumps are gone. Pour the egg mixture onto the pecan topped dough. Dot with the remaining pecans.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the filling is set. Cool 5 minutes on a rack and remove from the pans before they are cool, as the caramel will set. These tiny tarts freeze easily.