best ever festive vegan sausage rolls

The lovely people at Quorn asked me to work with them again to develop my infamous vegetarian sausage rolls and make them fully vegan using their Brilliant Bangers. The ultimate festive party food must be the humble sausage roll.  These best ever festive vegan sausage rolls are extra special because of the filling. I have a little secret; it’s called stuffing mix. I use my favourite vegan packet mix.  There’s just something so specifically Christmassy about including stuffing in a sausage roll that takes it to another level. The stuffing mix is just the base, I then add all kinds of divine Christmassy flavours.

Of course the filling is important but at the end of the day, the best thing about a sausage roll is the pastry.  So that’s where we’re starting with these.  I’m making a classic flaky pastry but don’t be too panicked, it’s not that hard, you just need some patience and a little bit of time.  I like to get up early on a Sunday and make it in a quiet kitchen before anyone else awakens. The recipe below is enough for about 20 small sausage rolls which quite frankly is not enough, so I tend to double the recipe.  It freezes well so if you don’t use it all it’s not a major issue.  You can of course just use your favourite ready made puff pastry sheets!

for the pastry

• 60g vegan butter or spread
• 200g butter – grated and then frozen
• 350g cold plain flour (pop it in the freezer the night before you want to make this)
• roughly 150ml ice cold water mixed with a teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice

for the filling

• 6 Quorn Vegan Brilliant Bangers – finely chopped
• 250g stuffing mix
• 1 large onion – finely chopped
• 200g chestnut mushrooms
• A handful of cooked chestnuts
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 level tablespoon fresh chopped herbs (I used rosemary and sage)
• salt and freshly milled black pepper
• 3 tbsp olive oil

for the vegan egg wash

• 3 tablespoons almond milk
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter
• 1 teaspoon agave

Let’s make the pastry first.

1. Place the flour into a large bowl and using your fingertips, quickly rub in the 60g of vegan butter or spread, then add the water / lemon juice mix a tablespoon at a time.  You can stir this with a wooden spoon but I like to use my hand shaped like a claw as I can feel the flour and water begin to form the dough so I know how much liquid to add.  You want to add enough liquid to form a firm dough that isn’t too tacky.
2. Knead the dough for a couple of minutes then wrap in clingfilm and pop in the fridge for about 10 mins.
3. Flour your work surface and roll the dough out into a long rectangle with the short side nearest you, then sprinkle the bottom 2/3rds of the rectangle with half the grated frozen vegan butter. (Push it down into the dough slightly.)  Fold over the top un-buttered third towards you and then fold the bottom third back over the top so that you have created 6 layers of dough/butter/dough/butter/dough/butter.
4. Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll it out again into a rectangle and repeat the above with the remaining vegan butter.  Roll it our again after this and fold, then wrap and refrigerate for a good hour.
5. Repeat the roll and fold process again three more times but don’t worry about refrigerating the dough between each fold.  if you work fast you really won’t need to.
6. After the 5th roll and fold, wrap it and pop it into the fridge for at least an hour before using. (You can freeze at this stage.)

Now onto the filling.

7. Place the Quorn Brilliant Bangers into a bowl and mash them up with a fork. Set aside.
8. Rehydrate your stuffing mix according to the packet instructions.  Do this in a large bowl and stir in a little olive oil.
9. Sauté off the onions then add the mushrooms and garlic and cook until soft, then add the herbs and seasoning and cook until the mushrooms have some colour.
10. Mix the stuffing mix, mushroom mix and mashed Quorn Brilliant Bangers together in a large bowl. Crumble in some cooked chestnuts and stir well. Set aside to cool whist you roll out your pastry.
11. I like to create two strips of pastry roughly 30cm long x 8 cm deep and generously lay a sausage shape of mix down the middle
12. wet the edges of the pastry with a little water before rolling them up, then cut them into bite-sized slices and place them on a baking tray.
13. Make the vegan egg wash by mixing together the almond milk, vegan butter and agave. Place the bowl in the microwave for 1 minute and beat well. Brush the wash onto the top of the sausage rolls.
14. bake them for 30 mins on 160c and then leave them in the oven to cool down for 10 mins before serving

Check out Dom in the Kitchen for more Christmas Party Food recipes.

Eat and of course, enjoy!