A reader Orla Hopkins sent in this recipe for Sausage rolls; a great snack to have over Christmas.

Orla’s Sausage Rolls

Ingredients:

• Good quality sausage meat (500g)

• Freshly ground salt & pepper (a good pinch of both)

• Fresh Parsley 5 teaspoon freshly chopped – double the amount if dried parsley

• Water to moisten the sausage meat filling (2 tablespoons)

• 1 roll ready-rolled puff pastry (or shortcrust)

• 1 beaten egg + drop of milk to glaze

• Sesame seeds to garnish

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 180/200C.

2. In a mixing bowl, mix sausage meat & a good pinch of salt and pepper & parsley

3. Add 2 tablespoons of water (will add moisture to the mix and as it cooks the water will add to the ‘puff’ of the puff pastry)

4. Mix well

5. Unroll the pastry on a board or clean surface. Cut in half lengthways.

6. Divide the sausage meat mixture in 2 and roll into a log shape the same length as the pastry

7. Leave half a thumb size edge of the pastry to join over the sausage meat

8. Roll the pastry around the sausage meat and brush with water to secure the pastry.

9. Crimp with a fork to seal the pastry around the sausage meat mix.

10. Cut the sausage rolls to your preferred lengths.

11. I like to cut the tops of the sausage rolls with 2 cuts (see photo).

12. Brush with egg & milk mix and scatter with sesame seeds.

13. Cook for approx. 30 mins until the pastry is nicely browned and the meat is cooked.

14. Add sesame seeds to garnish.

Enjoy! (hot or cold – hot is my preference)

Can be assembled and kept in the fridge until ready to pop in the oven. Can also be frozen after assembly, just add extra 15 mins to cooking time.

You can find Orla on Twitter @ohoppo