Easy Holiday Season Snacks

Thanksgiving through New Year can be a blur for busy families – parties, family get-togethers, shopping and end-of-school performances are all bundled into just 4 short weeks and you don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen and miss all the fun. Celebration recipes mixed in with quick bake-ahead meals are a way to get through the season and of course you want to sprinkle some family favorites with the meals as well. It all starts with some easy Holiday Season snacks.

Sausage Rolls

 These have been a favorite for our family since the kids were small. Kids and guests are both brought into the kitchen when the turkey is cooking and sausage rolls are perfect snacks to keep them busy while dinner is cooking. They can be made by the dozen for Christmas parties at work and are easy to put into a bag for kid’s parties too. There is no reason why these cannot be made all through the summer, but we tend do them just from Thanksgiving through New Year:

Recipe for about 30 Sausage Rolls:

Sausage rolls are a quick and easy holiday snack

A pack frozen puff pastry sheets*
1 x 8oz Roll sausage meat
1 egg beaten with a tablespoon of milk
Step 1: Take the pastry sheets out of the freezer, unwrap the pastry and put onto the counter for about 30 mins to defrost; You will have 2 sheets that unfold to 3 sections each;
2: On each section: take about ¼ of the sausage meat and slowly make a ‘sausage’ along middle of each section lengthwise;
3: Brush one long edge of the section with egg/milk mix;
4: i) Roll the dry edge, over the sausage meat;
ii) Tuck the dry edge under the sausage meat;
iii) Continue rolling the side with the egg/milk washed edge to seal.
5: Brush the tops of the roll with egg/milk wash;
6: Cut into sections about 1 inch long – each segment should yield about 10 sausage rolls;
7: Place on cookie sheets and cook at 375 for about 10-15 minutes – the pastry should be golden and well risen and the sausage meat cooked through;
8: Let the sausage rolls cool for a few minutes before putting onto a plate.
The kids like ketchup with these.
Refrigerate left over rolls and reheat for a few minutes before serving.
• Gluten Free readymade puff pastry is available, or you can make your own.

Individual Fruit Flans

These again are quick to make particularly if you make the pastry cases ahead and freeze them. Kids can snack on the fruit/Jell-O cases, adults can pick up salmon or savory cases. These easy holiday snacks are great for after school snack, quick desserts or, with different fillings, great for parties of all ages.

Recipe for Basic Sweet Short crust pastry cases

As with all pastry the ingredients, your hands and bowls need to be kept cold.

8 oz flour
6 oz butter cut into chunks

1 tbls sugar
1 egg beaten with a little milk to mix
Basic Pastry Recipe:
1: Rub the butter chunks into the flour (a food processor does this in seconds);
2: Add the egg/milk mix – to mix into a firm dough;
3: Refrigerate for 30 mins;
4: Roll out and cut with cookie cutter into rounds (about 3-4 inch diameter depending on your pan);
5: Put the rounds onto the pan and prick the base with a fork;
6: Return to fridge for 30 minutes;
7: Bake for 10 – 15 minutes until light golden color;
8: Remove from pan when cool.
Freeze the cooked cases (without the filling – step 8) or freeze before cooking – step 5.
For dainty cocktail snack use smaller pastry cases.

Fillings can vary on your taste;
Red Jell-O with canned mixed fruit:
Make the Jell-O according to the packet;
Put the bowl in the refrigerator for about an hour. You want the Jell-O to be soft-set to support the fruit but not so set as to be ready to serve.
Add chopped fresh or canned fruit; Note that gelatin based desserts do not set if you add pineapple and kiwi fruit. Peaches, strawberries and raspberries do very well.
Spoon into the pre-cooked Pastry cases.
NOTE: A more flavorful Jell-O mix can be made by adding some of the juice from canned fruit such as raspberries. Replace up to ½ cup of the cold water added to your Jell-O mix, with fruit juice.
Alternative fillings: any cold filling is appropriate such as chocolate pudding mix, or even fish/savory fillings. For a party make sure you have some vegetarian fillings as well such as mushroom/onion/cheese based fillings.