Add dry ingredients for crust to large bowl. Cut in butter and cream cheese using two forks or a pastry cutter. Do not allow mixture to melt or become warm. Alternately, you can combine all crust ingredients into a food processor and pulse for 1 minute or until a dough begins to form.
Cut dough in half. On a lightly floured surface roll out each dough portion then wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough disks for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat liner.
Roll out each portion of dough to 1/8” thickness. Use a 2 3/4” round cookie cutter to cut out 40 circles. Make an X in the center of 20 of the cut outs, leaving plenty of space at the edges.
In a medium bowl combine butter, brown sugar, pecans, vanilla, and salt until blended. Arrange cut outs without X on baking sheets.
Place roughly 2 teaspoons of filling in the center of the dough rounds without a slit. Leave at least 1/ 4” border along the edge of each one. Place X pie tops on top of filling and seal to the bottom dough using a fork pressed gently along the edges.
Whisk egg and water in a small bowl and brush each mini pie with egg mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until pies are golden brown. Allow to cool on wire rack before serving.
