I really wanted to make mince pie parcels one year. I'd seen Kirsty Allsopp making some and being a "Kirsty Allsopp Wannabe" I thought I could do them.
I couldn't.
They ended up burnt on the top and outside yet the inside was all soggy.
I gave up on that idea.
I tried to make a ham, cheese and tomato tart but again, that didn't go to plan at all. In fact I've tried that a couple of times and it's messed up both times.
This year I set myself the challenge of making sausage rolls and pies. I had to keep going until I got it right.
Last week I made sure I bought the ingredients needed and on Friday I set to work.
I didn't want my sausage rolls to be plain and after my first plan was immediately dismissed due to lack of ingredients but knew there was something in the cupboard which would suit perfectly!
I recalled once having Sausage Rolls with a red onion chutney, without having any chutney I knew I had red onions. I decided to caramelise them and then add them into the pastry.
The result. Perfect. And they were all gone within 12 hours. Charles doesn't like onions or pastry yet ate one of these whilst saying "mmmmm" they whole time. He loved it.
What you need:
Caramelised Onions
3 Red Onions
Brown Sugar
Balsamic Vinegar
Honey
Olive Oil
Slice the onions into tiny pieces. Drizzle with honey and add to a frying pan with olive oil. Fry until they start to colour then add brown sugar (I used 5 dessertspoonfuls) and balsamic vinegar ( I used 4 dessertspoonfuls) Fry until brown. You may want to add more honey or balsamic vinegar until it meets your required taste.
Place into a bowl and leave to cool.
Sausage Rolls
Caramelised Onions
Sausage Meat
Ready Rolled Puff Pastry
1 Beaten Egg
Take the pastry and roll it out on a board or work surface. Cut the pastry in half. Take your sausage meat and line it down the middle of the pastry. Add to the top of this the caramelised onions. Make sure you spread the mixture right to the ends of the pastry.
Once you are pleased with the amount of sausage meat and onions then brush the beaten egg on the pastry either side of the sausage meat. Then fold however you you like.
I made one of them with no excess pastry and one with. With the one on the right I just pulled and pinched at the pastry, which made it easy to eat actually as it was almost like a handle!
Brush Egg white over the top of the pastry, cut to size and then transfer to a baking tray.
I oiled the baking tray before putting these in the oven but would use greaseproof paper in the future.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the meat is cooked and the pastry brown and crispy (not burnt!)
Serve warm or cold.
