Caramel Pecan Mini-Pies

This is a traditional Southern holiday dessert, though the mysteries of its origins have been lost to time. Having had some less-than-wonderful renditions in my time, I decided to come up with my own ideal version. I went to the test kitchen with two things in mind: First, too much corn syrup yields a pie that is too sweet and runny. There is nothing worse than a pie with a soggy crust and syrup pooling in the pan where a piece has been cut out. Second, beating the eggs too much destroys the creamy texture of a properly cooked pecan pie. I am pretty pleased with these results, and I bet you will be too.