POPPER SAUSAGE ROLLS

If you aren’t a fan of spicy food but would like to make these sausage rolls, use small red and orange salad peppers instead of chilli peppers.

Makes 10 sausage rolls

Preparation: 20 minutes

Baking time: 25 minutes

Oven temperature: 200°C and 180°C

• 125ml medium-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

• 80ml finely grated Cheddar

• 10 large fresh jalapeños

• 10 smoked sausages, about 5cm long

• 2 x 400g rolls of puff pastry (see tip)

• beaten egg, to glaze (optional)

1 Preheat the oven. Mix the cream cheese with the Cheddar and set aside. 2 Trim off the stems and tips of the chillies, then cut each one open on one side. Remove the seeds and membranes. Add a heaped spoonful of the cheese mixture to each chilli; spread it slightly, insert a sausage and press closed. (Don’t worry if the chilli doesn’t fully enclose the sausage.)

3 Carefully roll out the puff pastry on a clean work surface. Cut each pastry sheet into 5 x 4cm strips along the short side. Wrap each stuffed chilli in a strip of dough, with the seam of the chilli and sausage parcel facing down. Press the ends of the dough strip together tightly, leave a 1cm seam and trim off any excess dough.

TIP Press all the excess dough together and freeze for another day.

4 Using a sharp knife, make 2 or 3 incisions across each pie, through the dough to the chilli. Arrange the rolls on a baking tray, brush with egg and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 180°C and bake for another 5–10 minutes or until cooked and risen. These sausage rolls are delicious hot or at room temperature, and make great lunch box treats or picnic fare.