Classic sausage rolls

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200Œc/fan 180Œc/gas 6. Lightly grease 2 large baking trays with some olive oil.
2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion and cook gently for 3-4 minutes, until the onion is slightly soft. Add the chopped dried apple or apricot and cook for 2-3 more minutes, until soft. Turn the heat off and leave to cool.
3. Put the sausagemeat (if using sausages, snip the skins and peel) into a bowl, add the onion mixture and the parsley or thyme and season with a little black pepper.
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4. Sprinkle the work surface with a little flour and use a rolling pin to roll the pastry out until it forms a thinner, rectangular sheet, about 30cm x 40cm.
5. Cut the pastry in half lengthways. Divide the sausagemeat mixture into 2. Put half of the sausagemeat down the middle of a piece of pastry and shape into a long sausage.
6. Brush 1 long edge of the pastry with beaten egg. Fold the edge that does not have the egg on it over the sausagemeat and press the pastry edges together. Seal and roll over so that the seam and excess pastry are underneath. Repeat with the other half of sausagemeat and pastry.
7. Cut each roll into 8-10 short sausage roll lengths (about 4cm each). Cut a small slit in the top of each sausage roll, brush with beaten egg and transfer to the baking tray. Chill for 15 minutes, then bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Ask an adult to remove the tray from the oven and allow to cool before eating.