Harissa olive sausage rolls

My husband loves sausage rolls. Well, he loves anything pig related really, so I can never go wrong with a sausage roll.

I first made this version in the summer. It was warm, the sun was shining and my parents came over to sit on our new little patio. We had these and fresh lemonade made with Amalfi lemons. Bliss.

Now when it feels like it's been raining forever, sitting in the sun seems a faint memory. But these are just as delicious on a dark afternoon in December as they were that day.

Ingredients:

350g sausagemeat
3 tsp harissa paste
10 kalamata olives, halved

Half a small onion finely chopped

375g of pre-rolled puff pastry
1 beaten egg
3 tbsp sesame seeds

How to make it:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c/Gas 4.

2. Take the pastry out of the fridge about 20mins before you start (unless your kitchen is very hot in which case leave it in there a bit longer).

3. Mix the Harissa paste, olives and onion into the sausagemeat. If you can face it, use your hands to get a better mix but be prepared for looking like an extra from a horror film.

4. Roll out the pastry and cut down the centre to give you two long strips. Place the strips onto a large baking tray with the long edges at top and bottom.

5. Use a teaspoon to add a channel of the sausage mixture along the centre of each strip. Don't be tempted to overfill or you'll need to stretch the pastry too much to cover it.

6. Brush the border of the pastry with the beaten egg.

7. Lift the pastry edge furthest away from you over to cover the sausage. It helps to roll the sausage over slightly to make sure the edges meet neatly.

8. Press down the edges really well, either with your fingers or a fork. If you don't makes sure it's all well sealed, the filling will leak or the pastry will open when it puffs up.

9. Do the same with the second roll and brush both with the beaten egg. Sprinkle liberally with the sesame seeds.

10. Bake for about 25mins until the pastry is golden.

11. Leave to cool for about 10mins then cut into individual rolls using a bread knife (or other knife with a serrated edge).