Moroccan-Spiced Sweet Potato Tiropetes

Tiropetes are small triangles of phyllo dough stuffed with a savory filling. This recipe began by baking the sweet potato that formed the base for the filling. While the potato baked, I created the Moroccan spice blend by toasting fennel, cumin, coriander, and black peppercorns in a skillet. Once the spices had warmed, I added them to the grinder with paprika, ground ginger, and cayenne, and ground them to a fine powder. I sautéed a chopped onion and two cloves of garlic and added them to the cooled, peeled sweet potato. I mashed the onions, garlic, and sweet potato and added 1-½ teaspoons of the Moroccan spices, and a tablespoon of fresh cilantro. Now I was ready to create the tiropetes! I layered three sheets of phyllo dough (with butter between each layer) on my work surface and cut the dough into four equal strips. At the bottom of each strip, I placed a tablespoon of the potato mixture. Starting at the bottom right hand corner, I folded the tiropetes like I was folding a flag—creating a neatly wrapped triangle. I brushed the triangle with butter and continued the process until I had used all of the filling. The tiropetes baked in a 375-degree oven for 20 minutes. The Moroccan spice blend filled the house with an intense earthy, smoky aroma. I really liked the way the crispy, flaky phyllo dough contrasted with the creamy sweet potato filling. I think this would make a great appetizer and I froze half the batch to save for another time.

Up next: Chapter 3! Parmesan-Herb Popovers