Puff, puff, puff and more puff (pastry and all things sausage)

Sausage rolls

Now why?, when they can be bought in the shop (pretty much all shops at that)

a) these taste better

b) not difficult to do

c) really!

Soooo ingredients (be prepared to write this mammoth list down!)

• Packet of puff pastry (pre rolled, lighter fat one available if desired)
• 6 sausages (I go for premium, minimum of 75% meat content, check those ingredients peeps)
• 1 egg beaten (thrashed, whisked what ever one prefers)

Method:

Strip the skin off the sausages

  

Roll pastry out of the packet and split horizontally in half, lay 3 on each half in a line up to the front, leaving enough to roll. Egg the back and roll back wards.

Cut into desired size.

Spray a tray with cooking spray (saves the faff of greaseproof/baking paper) and align rolls and egg wash.

Now I have a fan assisted electric oven and find 170 plenty hot enough and place the tray in the bottom 3rd so pastry cooks but does not burn, for 30 mins.

Now you can get as creative as you like, I have added stuffing, grated apple, cranberry sauce, cooked chopped bacon, fried onion and so on with the sausage meat. You can roll them smaller and use chipolata sausages for a finer roll. You can use flavoured sausages, made some cracking ones using pork and chili sausages.

Enjoy xxxx

(oh and a quick by line costings, 12 pack sausages £2.55, pack of puff pastry £1, 1 egg 35p = makes 12 rolls approx 0.22p per roll!!) 

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WOW Raspberry meringue pie ...................... just divine

So why not lemon, well my eldest pain in the bum, dislikes anything with lemon flavouring, so thought I would have a go at making a raspberry version.

Raspberry meringue pie

Ingredients:

• shortcrust pastry (shop bought or make your own, tbh its not difficult to make and does not shrink when blind baked as contains less liquid)
• 225 g plain flour
• 100g chilled butter
• 25g icing or caster sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• chilled water
•  300-400g fresh raspberries
• 300ml water
• 75g caster sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 40g cornflour
• 3 egg whites
• 120g caster sugar

Method:

• For the pastry
  1. I use a food processor to make my pastry, so pop the flour and icing sugar into the mixer  add the butter blitz until resembles fine breadcrumbs. 
  2. Add egg yolk and a little water until just comes together (use as little water as possible for the shortest crumbliest pastry).  
  3. Chill for 30 minutes and use to line a 9inch/23cm dish suitable for the type of pudding, I used a flan dish. I found it easier to lightly roll and place in the dish and then patch together using my fingers. Allow the pastry to stand above the sides of the dish (this can be trimmed off after cooking). 
  4. Line with greaseproof paper and baking beans and bake blind (fan oven 170) for 15 minutes, remove the paper and beans and bake for five more minutes. 
  5. Leave to cool while you make the filling.  
   
  

• For the filling
  1. Buzz the raspberries in the food processor. 
  2. Then press the raspberries through a sieve, you need to squeeze as much juice as possible.
  3. Take some of the juice and blend into the cornflour, then add all of the juice until combined.   
  4. Put the water into a saucepan and bring to the boil. 
  5. Pour the raspberry and cornflour mixture into the water whisking continually until it thickens. 
  6. Remove from heat temporarily.
  7. Mix the egg yolks into the sugar and whisk this into the thickened raspberry curd. 
  8. Bring back to the boil whisking all the time. 
  9. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little before pouring into the pastry case.
  
   
  
• For the meringue
  1. Heat oven to 130 (fan oven)
  2. I use a stand mixer for this, Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until they form stiff peaks.
  3. Whisk in the sugar a dessertspoon at a time.   
  4. Spread over the raspberry custard ensuring there are no gaps and bake for 45 mins until golden beige and crisp.
     

Serve with cream, Ice cream warm or cold, be warned it is seriously lush!