Colin McGurran's sausage and marmalade vol-au-vents recipe

Method

1. To make the marmalade and onion chutney, add the olive oil to a heavy-based pan and set over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onions and cook until soft for 5-7 minutes.
2. Add the chopped apple to the pan and cook for 2 minutes more. Pour in the white wine vinegar, fennel seeds and caster sugar and allow to simmer on a gentle heat for 40 minutes.
3. Take off the heat before stirring in the marmalade. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and allow to cool.
4. Preheat the oven to gas 3, 175°C, fan 155°C.
5. Lay out the sheet of pre-rolled puff pastry on a clean, lightly floured work surface. Use a 6cm round cutter to cut out 24 circles – kids can easily take over this step if they fancy. Place the circles on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 12-13 minutes until nicely puffed up and golden. Remove the pastry rounds from the oven and set aside in a dry, warm place.
6. Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180˚C, fan 160˚C.
7. Add the sausage meat, egg and fennel seeds to a mixing bowl and get the kids involved in getting all of the ingredients incorporated using their hands. Weigh out a round ball of the mix to 15g and get the kids busy shaping the rest of the meatballs to the same size and shape.
8. Line a baking tray with nonstick baking paper and lay the meatballs on top. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the meatballs have browned nicely and are cooked through.
9. To assemble the vol-au-vents, use a teaspoon to hollow out the middle of the pastry circles, leaving a good-sized border around the edge to make sure the meatballs will sit securely inside the pastry.
10. Remove the meatballs from the oven and pop one into each vol-au-vent. Return to the oven for 10 minutes or so to warm through, then serve with the onion and marmalade chutney.

• See more Christmas baking recipes for kids

• For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.