Gather round for a seasonal sing-song, some delicious bites and a festive tipple or two
RECIPES SARAH AKHURST
‘Mince pie’ stuffed cookies
PAGE 30
Bacon, mushroom and chestnut filo cups
PAGE 30
SERVES 12 HANDS-ON TIME 15 mins TOTAL TIME 55 mins, plus chilling and cooling
STILTON AND SAGE SAUSAGE ROLLS
The quintessential festive snack meets the classic Christmas cheeseboard in these next-level sausage rolls, which are stuffed with sausagemeat, walnuts, Stilton and quince jelly. Perfect with a glass of sherry or a nice full-bodied red wine.
◆ 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
◆ 1 red onion, finely sliced
◆ ½ x 20g pack sage, leaves finely shredded, plus extra to garnish (optional)
◆ 400g sausagemeat
◆ 50g fresh breadcrumbs
◆ ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
◆ 50g walnut pieces, roughly chopped
◆ 75g Stilton, crumbled
◆ 1 x 375g pack ready-rolled puff pastry
◆ 3 tbsp Taste the Difference quince jelly (or redcurrant jelly)
◆ 1 medium egg, beaten
◆ 1 tbsp poppy seeds
1 Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion over a medium heat for 6-8 minutes, until it’s soft and starting to caramelise. Add the sage and continue to cook for a minute, then set aside to cool.
2 Combine the cooled onion mixture with the sausagemeat, breadcrumbs and nutmeg. Mix well to combine. Season, then gently mix through the walnuts and Stilton, taking care not to break up the crumbled Stilton too much.
3 Unroll the pastry sheet on your worktop, with a long edge facing towards you. Brush the central area of the pastry with the quince jelly, leaving a good 5cm border all the way around the edge. Shape the sausagemeat mixture into a long roll and lay it along the pastry, 3cm in from the edge nearest you. Brush the near edge with some of the beaten egg and then bring the pastry from the top to tightly cover the meat. Seal by crimping the edges with a fork. Cut the roll into 12 chunky sausage rolls and then place on a lined baking sheet. Brush with the remaining beaten egg and scatter over the poppy seeds. Chill for 30 minutes or for up to 48 hours.
4 Preheat the oven to 200°C, 180°C, gas 6. Bake the sausage rolls for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Cool for at least 10 minutes before eating, and garnish with sage sprigs, if using.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
291cals; 21g fat (9g sat fat); 10g protein; 1g fibre; 14g carbs; 4g total sugars; 0.8g salt
