Meat Tarts (from Ashes)

If I'm being completely honest, I spent most of the time developing this recipe kicking my past self for describing these as flower-shaped because that really complicated things. But regardless of what shape they're in, they are still a delicious combination of sweet, peppery, and rich flavor all nestled in a buttery crust!

---

Ingredients
1 lb ground sweet Italian sausage
1 medium-large yellow onion, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 tsp black pepper (depending on how peppery you want them)
Ground nutmeg, to taste
Honey, to taste
2 refrigerated pie crusts (or homemade, if you're feeling more ambitious than me)

Directions
Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Cook onions until translucent and soft, stirring occasionally. Add the sausage to the pan with the onions. Cook sausage, breaking into small crumbles.
Once the sausage is cooked, add salt, pepper, nutmeg, and honey. Stir together and cook for a few more minutes, then remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Cut out 12 circles from the pie crust. I used a mason jar lid, but if you want to be like civilized or professional or whatever, you could use something else of a similar size. Place the dough circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving a little space between them. Cut out 12 more circles of pie crust. You will use these circles to make the "petals" (and if you find a better method for that than what I'm about to describe, PLEASE ignore me). Cut two of the curved sides off the circles, then split the middle into three sections. Reshape the pieces as needed so each one is an arch somewhat close to the same size. Place 5 arches on each of the circles on your baking sheet, pressing the bottom to the circle crust and letting the curved sides form a shallow cup. (I included some process pictures at the end of this post because I am not feeling confident about that description.) Fill each tart with a large spoonful of your sausage mixture, but make sure they're not overflowing too much. You'll probably have some sausage mixture left, but the good news is that it still tastes delicious just eating it with a spoon.
Bake the tarts for 10-13 minutes or until the the crust is golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes on the pan before serving.
The Inspiration
“The first delicacy,” Keller began, plucking a flower-shaped stuffed pastry from the plate. Ember smiled as she realized that he had selected pairs of everything. “This is the best meat tart you’ll ever taste!”
Ember selected hers and took a bite. The buttery pastry flaked and melted in her mouth. The meat inside was a blend of sweet and spicy, with caramelized onions adding to the texture and flavor. Ember’s smile widened. “That’s delicious.”

Process pictures because my explanation was a disaster: