Hosting the family for Christmas could include accommodating different dietary requirements.
Meat lovers and vegetarians will love Mary Berry’s mini sausage rolls – whether they’re filled with sausage or roasted pepper and cheese.
For the mini sausage rolls, cheese plays a starring role in addition to seasoning, such as thyme.
Meanwhile, the vegetarian rolls are stuffed with red peppers, ricotta cheese and basil.
Both have beautifully crumbly pastry, sealed with egg, and topped with a snowy dusting of plain flour.
Mini sausage rolls
Makes: about 30
Ingredients
- 225g pork sausage meat
- 50g mature cheddar, grated
- Two tsp chopped thyme leaves
- 320g packet of ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
- One egg, beaten
- Plain flour, for dusting
- Salt and black pepper
Mini veggie rolls
Makes: about 30
Ingredients
- 200g roasted red peppers in oil (from a jar), drained and chopped
- 125g full-fat ricotta cheese
- 50g Parmesan or pecorino cheese, grated
- Two tbsp chopped basil
- Plain flour, for dusting
- 320g packet of ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
- One egg, beaten
- Salt and black pepper
Method
For the red pepper and ricotta rolls
Place the peppers in a bowl and add the two cheeses and the basil. Mix together and season with salt and pepper.
On a floured work surface, roll out the pastry. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg and cut it widthways into six strips each.
Place the pepper and cheese mixture into the six strips, leaving a 1cm border around each strip. Brush both long edges with beaten egg, then fold the pastry in half lengthways and press the long edges together to seal.
Trim the edges of the pastry (if needed) and then crimp with the back of a fork. Place the finished rolls in the fridge to chill as you make the others.
For the mini sausage rolls
Place the sausage meat, cheese and thyme in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mash together until combined. Roll out the pastry on a floured work surface. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg and then cut it widthways into six strips.
Divide the sausage mixture into six even-sized portions, then roll each into a long sausage shape and place lengthways along one side of each pastry strip, leaving a 1cm border along that edge.
Brush both long edges with beaten egg, then fold the pastry in half lengthways and press the long edges together to seal.
Trim the edges and crimp it with the back of a fork. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Once chilled, slice each roll – both versions – with some lines and place the rolls on the prepared baking tray with more beaten egg.
Bake the rolls on a large lined baking tray in a preheated oven on 200C (180C fan/gas six) for about 15 minutes, until golden-brown and cooked through. Sift over plain flour for a Christmassy touch.
