insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 19 - September 2016 | Page 53

FOOD+DRINK
BAKING FEVER cont.
English mustard gives the sausage rolls
a subtle heat once cooked. These are
always a winner at kids’ parties, and
are even better when they end up in the
packed lunch the next day. They freeze
really well, so they can be popped in
the oven as and when you need them.

Parsnip and Orange Spiced Cake
Serves 10

• 30g unsalted butter
• 100g mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Tabasco, or less if you
prefer, depending on your tolerance
for heat
• 6 large beef sausages, taken out of
the skins
• a pinch of fine sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• plain flour, for dusting
• 450g puff pastry (shop bought, or you
can make your own)
• 4 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
• 1 medium egg, beaten
• sea salt flakes, to sprinkle
Prep: 20 minutes / Cook: 25 minutes.
Can be frozen before or after baking.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C.
Put the butter and the mushrooms in a
small frying pan over a medium heat,
and cook the mushrooms until they are
soft and any moisture has evaporated.
Put them in a bowl and leave to cool
completely.
Once the mushrooms have cooled, add
the Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco,
sausage meat, salt and pepper. Give
everything a good mix by hand, and set
aside.
Dust your surface with flour and roll the
puff pastry out into a long wide rectangle
approximately 25 x 35cm. Then cut
down the middle lengthways to give
you three long rectangles.
Brush the pastry rectangles with a
generous layer of wholegrain mustard,
making sure to leave a gap of 1cm along
the long edges.
Brush the exposed edges with the
beaten egg. Down the centre of the
pastry rectangles, lay out a generous
line of sausage meat. Encase the filling
with the pastry, making a seam joined
with egg wash, underneath the roll.
Brush the three rolls in egg wash, and
give them a light sprinkling of sea salt
flakes. Cut each long roll into 8–10
pieces. Place the small rolls on a baking
sheet and bake for 15–20 minutes, until
golden on the outside, making sure the
meat on the inside is cooked through.

Now, before you say it – yes, there are parsnips in
this cake. My parents love a good carrot cake, but
when it’s the only thing they ask me to bake
because they are not adventurous enough for
much else… well, I had to change it up just for my
own creative sanity. Carrots may give colour, but
parsnips add a similar flavour and sweetness with
a whole lot more fragrance, so this isn’t as bold
and daring as it might sound from the title. It’s a
moist and delicious cake, and an excellent
alternative to carrot. You could also give this recipe
a go with courgette or beetroot. They all add
different things and work equally well.
For the sponge
• 230g self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons ground mixed spice
• 200g caster sugar
• 100g walnuts, chopped, plus extra for topping
• 3 medium eggs
• 150ml sunflower oil
• 500g parsnips, peeled, ends trimmed and
coarsely grated
• zest of 2 oranges, plus extra for decoration
For the frosting
• 50g unsalted butter, softened
• 200g full-fat cream cheese
• 150g icing sugar
• zest of 1 orange
Prep: 25 minutes / Cook: 30 minutes.
Sponges can be frozen.
To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan
160°C. Grease and line the base of two 20.5cm
sandwich tins with baking paper.

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In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder,
cinnamon, nutmeg and mixed spice. Add the caster
sugar and chopped walnuts, mix through with a
wooden spoon, and set aside.
Put the eggs and sunflower oil in a different bowl,
and beat for a few minutes. Now mix all the dry
ingredients into the egg and oil mixture, along with
the grated parsnips and orange zest. Mix everything
together until you have a thick batter; about 2
minutes.
Divide the mixture between the two cake tins, and
level it off using a spatula. Bake for 25–30 minutes.
The cakes should be golden, and a skewer inserted
into the centre should come out clean.
Leave the cakes in the tins for 10 minutes, then
turn out on to a wire rack and peel off the baking
paper. Leave to cool completely.
To make the frosting: In a bowl, beat the butter
with a wooden spoon then add the cream cheese
and icing sugar. Beat until it all comes together,
but be careful not to overdo it, or the frosting will
become runny.
Leave the frosting in the fridge until you need it, if
your kitchen is really warm.
Take your cooled cakes and sandwich them
together using the frosting. Top the cake with
lashings of frosting and sprinkle with walnuts, and
some extra orange zest.