This isn’t a ‘real’ sausage roll recipe – I just do what my darling Mom did. As she did everything with cooking by ‘feel’ – a bit of this and a bit of that, it’s been a lot of guesswork over the years, as I never made them whilst she was alive. Hers were so spectacular! Why would I even try???

From my lifetime memory of watching her, this is what my Mom did. Please note, they were a disaster the first time I tried them, but I have the hang of it now! BUT my friend Suzee recently gave me her ‘old’ oven, which I haven’t made sausage rolls in yet.

I can hear my mother saying “Use a LIGHT hand with pastry!” And it helps to keep things cool – so leave the pastry in the fridge until the last minute.

Quantity and technique seem to be what makes it successful or not. These quantities are worked out from my own experience, and they make nice fat little (two bites!) sausage rolls.

I buy puff pastry nowadays as its easier. At Christmas I double the recipe.

Heat oven to 420 degrees. Line baking trays with baking paper. Use two trays, so one is in the oven, whilst you are preparing the next one.

Roll out pastry to about a third bigger than the sheet is, so its fine – it will crisp better in the oven. You’ll need three sheets.

In a bowl, mix 1.3 kg GOOD QUALITY sausage mince – pork or pork and veal – my butcher just gives me what he used to give my Mom! – with a few splashes of HP sauce, some seeded mustard, splashes of Worcester sauce, and salt and pepper. I sometimes add some finely diced onion and parsley – but my Mom never did. The simpler the better! Split into three balls of roughly the same size.

Cut the sheet of pastry longways into three. Split one of the balls of meat into three similar sizes. Roll each into a long sausage and place down one side of one of the three pieces of pastry. Repeat with the other two balls of meat. Lightly brush both sides of the pastry with water, and fold the side of the pastry to meet the other. Repeat with other two pieces. Carefully lift onto a wooden board, and use a fork to press the two edges of pastry together. Then brush with milk and egg mix – or just plain milk.

Using a fork, prick along the length of the long sausage roll to allow steam to escape. Using a very sharp knife, but the long sausage into two, then cut again into two, and again – so you get eight small sausage rolls from the one long sausage – and 24 from the one sheet of pastry. If you want them bigger, cut accordingly.

Place on baking tray. From three sheets of pastry, therefore, you’ll land up with 72 sausage rolls. (Only 60 after you and His Lordship have sampled them)

Place in oven – watch carefully – ovens vary – you may need to turn the tray. They’ll brown in about 8 – 10 minutes. Cool on baking tray.

Granny Vera’s sausage rolls!

Enjoy and let me know how you go!

Love and hugs

Sandra x

GRANNY VERA’S LEGENDARY SAUSAGE ROLLS – by Sandra 20th July 2021.