Festive finger food: Please party guests this Christmas with baked treats
As part of our collaboration with the BBC Good Food Show, Nadiya Hussain andTom Kitchin share their party food nibble recipes
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Nadiya Hussain
Makes 25-30
Sausages are my guilty pleasure. I hate admitting it, but I love sausages – there, I said it! Wrapped in flaky puff pastry, surely they’re every girl’s secret dream (apart from a cappuccino-skinned hottie, which is every girl’s other secret dream)? Anyway, these are my beef Wellington sausage rolls. The mushrooms mixed with the sausage make for a darker, meatier flavour, and the layer of English mustard gives a subtle heat once cooked. These are always a winner at kids’ parties, and are even better when they end up in the packed lunch the next day. They freeze really well, so they can be popped in the oven as and when you need them.
30g unsalted butter
100g mushrooms, finely chopped
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Tabasco, or less if you prefer, depending on your tolerance for heat
6 large beef sausages, skins removed
Pinch of fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Plain flour, for dusting
450g puff pastry (shop bought, or you can make your own)
4 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 medium egg, beaten
Sea salt flakes, to sprinkle
Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Put the butter and the mushrooms in a small frying pan over a medium heat, and cook the mushrooms until they are soft and any moisture has evaporated. Put them in a bowl and leave to cool completely. Once the mushrooms have cooled, add the Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, sausagemeat and salt and pepper. Give everything a good mix by hand, and set aside. Can be frozen before or after baking.
Dust your surface with flour and roll the puff pastry out into a long, wide rectangle about 25 x 35cm. Then cut lengthways into three long rectangles. Brush the pastry rectangles with a generous layer of wholegrain mustard, leaving a gap of 1cm along the long edges. Brush the exposed edges with the beaten egg. Lay out a generous line of sausagemeat along the centre of the pastry rectangles. Encase the filling with the pastry, making a seam joined with egg wash, underneath the roll.
Brush each roll with egg wash, and give them a light sprinkling of sea salt flakes. Cut each long roll into 8-10 pieces. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden on the outside, making sure the meat on the inside is cooked through.
Wellington Sausage Rolls Recipe by BBC Good Food Show chef Nadiya Hussain
Cheddar cheese straws with caraway Tom Kitchin
Makes about 25
A tasty, easy-to-prepare snack to enjoy with an apéritif. The dough freezes brilliantly, so I always roll it out in smaller sheets and freeze some to have on hand for unexpected visitors. The base defrosts in no time, ready to cut into straws, bake and serve warm from the oven.
400g plain flour
20g sea salt
500g full-flavoured Cheddar, grated
10g caraway seeds
30g English mustard
225g butter, melted
Mix the flour, salt, cheese and caraway seeds together in a bowl until evenly combined. Add the mustard and butter and mix to bind together to a smooth, firm dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Unwrap the pastry and roll out in two or three batches to a 1cm thickness. (At this stage, wrap and chill or freeze any dough you are not serving straight away.) Cut the dough into strips, about 10 x 1cm, and place slightly apart on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes until golden brown. Carefully transfer the cheese straws to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.
Cheddar Cheese Straws with Caraway, Recipe by BBC Good Food Show Chef Tom Kitchin
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