I always start by heating my oven to 375°F so it's ready the moment my dough is cut. While it warms up, I spray a mini muffin tin generously with cooking spray. This little step saves me from fighting with stuck pastry later, especially once the cheese melts and gets sticky around the edges.
Next, I unroll the crescent dough onto a lightly floured surface and use a pizza cutter to slice it into 12 even squares. I don't worry about making them perfect, slightly uneven squares actually give the bites a rustic, homemade look. Then I press each square gently into a muffin tin slot, letting the edges poke up like little cups.
Once my dough cups are set, I cube the brie into small pieces so it melts evenly instead of sitting as one solid block. I drop a piece or two into each dough cup, then scatter chopped pecans right on top. This is the moment the bites really start looking like something special.
In a small bowl, I whisk the honey and cayenne pepper together until it's smooth and slightly runny. I drizzle this mixture generously over the pecans and cheese in every cup. If I'm using brown sugar instead, I warm it in the microwave for about a minute first so it melts easily into the filling.
Finally, I slide the tin into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, watching closely toward the end. I'm looking for puffed, golden pastry and cheese that's clearly melted and slightly bubbling at the edges. Once they hit that point, I pull them out and let them cool just enough to handle.