Almost Homemade Mini Sausage Rolls

If the sausage rolls in the photo above look delicious, they are, very.  I enjoy them fresh from the oven any time of the day.  Mini sausages rolls are always popular as finger food at a party, a picnic, or on a grazing table, especially when you tell people they are homemade, well, almost.  Use your favourite shop-bought sausages - Australian made Cumberland pork sausages for me.  Skin them and roll them up with shop-bought puff pastry, then into the oven for 30 minutes or so until golden brown.  How easy it that!  Laying of some semi-dried tomatoes and chopped fresh basils on top of the sausages make them so juicy and tasty that there is no need for tomato sauce to dip them into.  Serve them with a medley of cherry tomatoes instead, which are at the peak of their season right now. 

Makes 24 mini rolls

INGREDIENTS

• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, 25cmx25cm / 10"x10" in size, slightly thawed
• 8 good quality sausages
• ½ cup semi-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
• ¼ cup basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten mixed with 1 tablespoon of milk, for glazing
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted, for garnishing (optional)
• a handful of cherry tomatoes, to serve

METHOD

1. Cut each sheet of pastry in half lengthways to make 4 long rolls.
2. Cut one end off each sausage and squeeze the meat out onto the middle of each length of pastry (2 sausages per roll).
3. Top the sausages with the tomatoes and basil.
4. Roll up the pastry and transfer them to a large baking tray lined with baking paper.  Turn the seam to the bottom facing the tray.  Brush the top of the rolls with the egg yolk mixture.  Sprinkle sesame seeds on top, if using.
5. Cut each roll three quarter way through into 8 mini rolls. 
6. Bake in a preheated 200°C/400°F oven for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the sausages are cooked through.  Let them cool slightly before cutting the mini rolls all the way through.  Serve them together with some cherry tomatoes on a platter.