Moroccan Hand Pies

{ These were absolutely delicious warm from the oven }

It was an afternoon of firsts. First time cooking eggplant. First time cooking anything Moroccan. First time pairing fruit with meat {one of my all-time no-no's } - more on that later. The end result was delicious and I can see how these little pies would come in handy when traipsing through the desert. No utensils or plates required. You can find the recipe here. 

Honestly, I've been in a bit of a cooking rut lately. Different dishes but always the same types of flavors. When my friend Kristen gave me an eggplant from her garden I had no idea what to do with it but was excited to try something new. On hand I also had leftover pate brisee from last week's apple pie, black olives, onion, and garlic. Type in ingredients + google search = Moroccan Hand Pies. Viola!

I will warn you there are several steps involved so I wouldn't recommend this for a quick dinner unless you prepare all of the ingredients ahead of time. But my kitchen smelled fabulous and several of my neighbors selflessly took the leftovers off my hands so I will definitely be making these again.

{ Decadent flavor combinations }

{ I normally draw the line at mixing fruit with meat but the two compliment each other in this recipe }

{ I soaked the eggplant in heavily salted water first to combat any bitterness }

{ Harissa - a traditional middle eastern sauce added to the filling- typically includes peppers, lemon juice, and garlic }

{ Cut out 6" circles of dough and stuff with about 1/3 cup of filling }

{ These baked at 425 degrees for about 45 minutes }