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  1. Homemade Sausage Rolls

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    I appreciate this could be the world’s shortest recipe but they were so flipping delicious that I simply had to share!

    As we all know with the current coronavirus pandemic (April 2020) there have been certain food products that have been hard to find and on a recent trip to Tesco there wasn’t a single sausage in sight!  While I was in the freezer section I noticed frozen sausage meat so I thought I’d buy some since it was cheaper than a pack of good sausages.

    As for the pastry, I’ve tried making puff before, I spent hours with it in and out of the fridge being lovingly folded and I followed the instructions to the letter but it was a disaster and I vowed never to try making it again.  Since then I always used the Jusrol packs for puff and then shortcrust when I make quiche and pies and so far they’ve never let me down.

    Lucy sausage rolls 3 2020

    Before you start, defrost the sausage meat and make sure your puff pastry has been at room temperature for 30 minutes.  I rolled the pastry thinly into a big long rectangle on a floured surface and then cut it into 8 pieces.  With the sausage meat I sliced it into 8 long sausage shapes and placed it in the middle of the rectangles sideways.  My head chef sat patiently waiting and I showed her how to brush milk on the edge and then roll the top piece of pastry over the sausage to kiss the bottom piece.  Then she used a fork to seal the edges and brush more milk over the pastry.  Once I put it on the baking sheet I made several slits through the top so the steam could escape and that was it!  Considering my daughter has only just turned 4 she took incredible care and attention with each one.  She did get a little over excited brushing the milk on but it certainly didn’t affect the cooking.

    BeFunky Sausage rolls

    Once they were all made I put them back in the fridge for a while so they hold their shape when cooking and preheated the oven to 180c fan.

    I’ll admit I’m pretty terrible at keeping the time but I’d say they took roughly 25 minutes to cook.  My daughter was beaming when she saw them and we all agreed they were the nicest freshest and tastiest sausage rolls we’d ever eaten. 

    I’ve already been thinking of ingredients I can add next time like chilli, red onion, garlic and rosemary ect but I’ll have to do this with only half of them so I can keep the kids one’s plain and simple.  Or if you are vegetarian then you could just swop the sausage meat for cheese and onion or vegetables.   

    Happy Baking! xxx

    Lucy sausage rolls 1 2020

  2. Scrummy Apple and Cinnamon Cupcakes

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    We are almost at the end of our second lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic and for a large part of it I’ve not been able to buy any eggs until now, yay!  I’d bought a big bag of apples recently and although I have no idea what variety they are I knew 2 of them would make a great addition to my cupcake recipe.

    I normally use real butter for my cupcakes but today I only had Flora Buttery so I thought I’d give it a try and I’m pleased I did since it made them super light and fluffy.

    With 2 children off school and both of them wanting to bake I found a way of them mixing their ingredients in separate bowls before bringing it together to make sure it was consistent.  Organisation was key and although I have 2 lots of washing up the kids were happy throughout.  My cupcakes are nearly always the same recipe and over the years I’ve added my favourite flavour combinations like lemon and blueberry, and passionfruit curd and coconut.
     
    INGREDIENTS

    110g Flora Buttery or unsalted butter
    110g Self-raising flour
    110g Caster sugar
    2 Medium eggs
    2 Apples
    Sprinkle of cinnamon
    Splash of milk
    Sprinkle of brown sugar if desired
     
     
    Apple Cakes Apr 4
     
    RECIPE

    Pre heat the oven to 180C.  Cream the butter and sugar together until it’s light and fluffy.

    Slowly add the beaten egg bit by bit and alternate with a little flour.  Fold in the rest of the flour and add a little splash of milk.

    Peel and chop the apple into tiny pieces and toss them in a little flour and add a good sprinkling of cinnamon.

    Fold in the apple pieces and divide the mix between 10 - 12 cupcake cases.  Before popping them in the oven I added a sprinkle of brown sugar on top to make them a little more like Dorset Apple Cake.

    Bake for approx 18 minutes.  They should be golden brown and spring back when the top is slightly pushed down.

    The smell when they are baking is mouth watering but when they are ready try and get them on a cooling rack for a few minutes before eating.
     
     
    BeFunky Apple cakes
     
    We had one each after lunch and they are definitely one of the yummiest little cakes we’ve ever made.  The tiny apple pieces meant they cooked well and the sugar on top gave it a bit of a sweet crunch.  I had to say no to everyone’s requests for seconds so that we could enjoy some more after dinner with ice cream.

    And they are one of your 5 a day too, bonus!!!
     
    Apple Cakes Apr 6

    They were so nice that I couldn't resist making them again for a visit to the grandparents. 
     
    Apple and Cinnamon Cupcakes New
     
    Dorsetmums accepts no responsibility for burnt cakes if you get distracted with your children’s many demands or because you have lost track of time flicking through social media.  I also can’t be blamed for weight gain but I will take the credit for happy tummies.