Sausage roll recipe and other party food

[taffetacat]

We are having a pre Christmas party and I've been thinking about food, primarily for the adults.

I went to a friend's mum's house a few years back and she had made the most divine sausage rolls I have ever tasted. I think they were made with her own very light shortcrust pastry and the difference between them and shop bought was immense, a bit like homemade mince pies. I've never found a recipe thats a patch on it, was thinking I would try Delia this year, unless anyone has a great recipe?

Also thinking about other small mouthfuls, like stilton, celery and walnut with a drizzle of honey on a wee bruschetta, Peppadews stuffed with cream cheese, that sort of thing. Any other ideas of flavour packed one bite party food much appreciated.

I will mainly be doing cocktail sausages and crisps for the smalls.

LOL I just googled "sausage roll recipe using shortcrust pastry" and guess what came up?

Greggs.

I buy ready rolled shortcrust pastry and fill with sausagemeat mixed with salt, pepper, fresh chooped sage and finely diced cooked onion. They taste MUCH better than shop bought

A few others that I've done:

shop bought blini with small bit of smoked salmon, dollop of sour cream/creme fraiche and a couple of lumpfish caviar eggs - delicious and not too expensive if you use salmon trimmings or whatever salmon is on offer

Blinis or small crackers topped with a mixture of sauteed finely chopped mushroom and onion and a little cream

cocktail sticks with a baby mozarella ball, leaf of basil and a cherry tomato

crackers with stilton and a walnut

rare roast beef (from meat counter) and a little horseradish in a baby yorkshire pudding

Thanks Fairy. Is there a ready rolled shortcrust you'd recommend? I remember seeing a chef recommend an all butter one that Waitrose stock but that was a few years ago.

I tried once with puff and sausagemeat and they turned out massive. Stupid q: How do you make sure they are really dinky?

If you're using puff, try rolling it out really thinly. I know there would be a bit of waste, but if you can get the puff that is a thin circle rolled up in baking parchment, would save you rolling.

I like the idea of a mini mozzarella, basil and tomato, is there another combo you can think of to play on seasonality?

I suppose you could do a feta cheese olive and sundried tomato one!

I love home made alioli ( garlic mayo dip) with melba toast or sliced bruchetta

Yum! Great idea. I guess just play with the cheese/veg/flavoury thing.

Same as FairyFay (Sausagemeat, onion and fresh sage), but try and make your own Roughpuff pastry. I followed a "Good Housekeeping" recipe about a year ago. It was quite time consuming, but easy and VERY satisfying. It tasted much better than any other Sausage Roll I had ever tried. Give it a go!

I like ready rolled puff pastry for sausage rolls, but they are admittedly only bitesize if you have a very large mouth. You need a very sharp knife to cut them so they end up small but neat.

Mace is a VERY delicious addition to the sausage roll mix, and I sometimes use chives and/or garlic instead of sage and onion. Really garlicky ones are a bit of a fave here but then we are garlic fiends.

yy to blinis with smoked salmon and creme fraiche (again I add chives to this)

ready rolled puff pastry is a godsend for making little nibbly canapes - cut into small squares and top with pretty much anything (make sure the topping is strongly flavoured), and the pastry rises up around the topping to make it all quite secure. They take 10 mins or so in a hot oven. Favourite toppings in our house include caramelised onions, with goats' cheese added once they are out of the oven; a few halved cherry tomatoes piled on with thyme and garlic, and plenty of seasoning; and smoked haddock or similar mixed with a very strong mustardy cheese sauce (has to be thick so it doesn't run off the pastry).

oh and do make sure you use all butter puff pastry if you aren't making your own - I loathe the way the other stuff coats your mouth

I am going to have to do some testing the next few weeks! I will try my own ( Delia's that is ) rough puff, and I will do some alongside Sainsbo's TTD all butter ( although they don't do it ready rolled - anyone know of a really good ready rolled one? Waitrose do one? )

I am loving the puff pastry nibbles ideas too.

Mace is an interesting suggestion for the sausage rolls, will try a few with it in.

yes waitrose do a good all butter ready rolled puff, although I guess it's not all that much of a chore to roll it out yourself and that way you can get it good and thin for smaller sausage rolls

feeling hungry now...!

I often make my own sausage rolls, mix some mustard/chutney/sweet chilli,with your sausage meat, all make a lovely selection.

Its agony for me. Am dieting until Christmas, how will I taste test? Can I rely on a 4yo and a 7yo palate?

You've got a few suggestions already but can I add these into the mix? Seriously yummy.

indeed, these things are NOT diet friendly!