Festive Sausage Rolls

by Tom & Tam Theisel, 31 Oct 2017
  • 16 Servings
  • Prep time 30 mins
  • Cook time 35 mins

Warm sausage rolls straight from the oven are delicious any time of year. The rich flakey pastry and lots of succulent meat are a classic family favourite.

Our festive recipe adds a little touch of Christmas spirit and sparkle, great for a naughty snack after a frosty winter walk.

Sausage rolls - Baked

Ingredients

  • 1 small red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove crushed garlic
  • 25ml spiced rum
  • 90g dried stoneless prunes or dried apricots, finely chopped
  • 400g sausage meat
  • 2tsp fresh thyme
  • 2tsp ground mix spice
  • 1tsp salt

Method

  1. Sauté the onions and garlic until translucent, add the spiced rum and continue to cook until there is no visible liquid. Now add the ground mixed spice and fry for a couple of minutes on a gentle heat to release the flavours. Set aside to cool.

  2. In a bowl mix the pork sausage, chopped prunes (or apricots), thyme, salt and the cooled onion and spice mix. We like to use our hands to mix the meat mixture, you can squeeze the ingredients together well which gives a good textured sausage roll.

  3. Roll out the puff pastry sheet, keeping the pastry on the outer sheet. Cut down the middle lengthways.

    Form the meat mixture into 2 long sausages down the middle of each pastry strip. Try to keep the meat at an even thickness and take it right to the ends of the pastry.

    Brush beaten egg along the middle edges of the 2 pastry strips. Now take the outer dry edge and roll it over the sausage, keep it tight. Using the outer paper that comes with the pre-rolled puff really helps. Now continue rolling over onto the egg washed edge. Repeat for the other strip.

    Cut each long sausage roll into 8 (half, then half and half again).

    Tip

    You can freeze the sausage rolls, allowing you to pull them out if the freezer and bake from fresh when needed. Either defrost over night in the fridge or add 10 minutes baking time from frozen.

    Sausage rolls - Forming
    Sausage rolls - Forming

  4. Transfer the rolls to a greased baking tray, you may want to tidy the shape a little as cutting can squish them a bit. Leave 2-3cm between the sausage rolls to ensure they bake evenly. Brush the remaining egg mixture over the tops of the pastry.

    Sausage rolls - Prepped
    Sausage rolls - Prepped

  5. Bake at 200C for 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

    Serve when cool enough to eat.