1-First Step: Prepare dough and filling. Chill pie dough beforehand or prepare from scratch by blending cold butter, shortening, flour, and salt. Add cold water gradually to form dough and refrigerate at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, mix pumpkin puree, brown sugar, heavy cream, milk, egg, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and optional black pepper until smooth. Refrigerate filling until ready.

2-Second Step: Preheat oven and prep pans. Preheat your oven to 375°F (191°C). Grease two 24-count mini muffin pans or similar. This prevents sticking and makes removal easier.

3-Third Step: Cut and shape crusts. Roll out chilled dough into a 12-inch (30 cm) circle on floured surface. Use a 2.5 to 3.5-inch round cutter to stamp out approximately 24 dough rounds per disc. Press each round firmly into muffin pans, forming small crusts with sides.

4-Fourth Step: Fill crusts with pumpkin mixture. Using a spoon or small funnel, evenly spoon the pumpkin filling into each crust cup, filling to the top but not overflowing.

5-Fifth Step: Bake the mini pumpkin pies. Bake for 21 to 25 minutes or until the filling sets and edges of crust are golden. For larger pans with bigger cutouts (around 3.5 inches), bake closer to 30 minutes.

6-Final Step: Cool and serve. Allow pies to cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from pans. Serve warm or chilled, optionally topped with whipped cream or cream cheese frosting for extra indulgence.