I used to turn my nose up at low brow cocktail party foods and pretend to only prefer nibbly things with fancy French names. In reality, the fancy stuff just gets stuck in your teeth and you have no idea what you just ate. And actually, the best (and most popular) cocktail party items are the simple old classics. Here’s a recipe for a holiday favorite. Sausage rolls are ageless, timeless, and can be paired with any type of cocktail. Never buy the pre-made “pigs in a blanket” from the frozen food aisle. These fresh sausage rolls are super easy to make, and you have the freedom to mix and match flavors.
Classic Sausage Rolls
Ingredients:
(this recipe yields 16-20 sausage rolls from 1 sheet puff pastry)
1 sheet Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry, defrosted.*
flour – for rolling out
1 egg
8-10 good quality cooked breakfast or herb sausages (spicy/ sweet)- cut into bite size pieces
salt & fresh ground pepper
fresh thyme
serve with: Jar of good quality grainy mustard, condiments and pickles
*note on puff pastry: To defrost, take out of the freezer roughly 2 hours before you need to roll it out. Leave on counter top so it thaws. If it’s too defrosted it won’t unfold and will stick to itself, if it’s too frozen it’ll tear apart.
Directions:
preheat oven to 375 degrees F
1). Using a rolling pin on a floured surface, roll out the sheet of puff pastry to measure out a larger rectangle, and the pastry is fairly thin.
2). Measure out roughly 16-20 smaller rectangles, cut with small pairing knife.
3). Brush one end of each little rectangle with beaten egg.
4). Lay piece of sausage on the other end, and sprinkle each with thyme, salt and pepper.
5). Roll each with seam side down. Prick the tops of each roll with a fork (once or twice, to stop it from over puffing),
6). Place on a sheet tray, and refrigerate for 30 min or so to set
7). When ready to bake, brush the tops only with remaining egg wash. If the egg runs down the side too much they won’t puff up. Sprinkle with sea salt & pepper (optional).
8). Bake in middle rack for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
Serve with grainy mustard and condiments of your choice. Pairs well with everything from Krug champagne to the champagne of beers!