Okay, so it was Australia Day, and I wanted to throw a little get-together for my mates. Nothing too fancy, just some good food, good company, and good vibes. I started by thinking about what kind of food screams “Australia Day” to me. Sausage rolls, meat pies, and lamingtons, obviously!
First, I had to get all the ingredients. I went down to the local supermarket and grabbed some puff pastry, ground beef, and all the spices for the sausage rolls. For the meat pies, I needed some more ground beef, onions, and some good old-fashioned gravy. Oh, and for the lamingtons, I got a sponge cake, chocolate, and a whole heap of desiccated coconut.
Then came the fun part – the cooking! I started with the sausage rolls. I mixed the ground beef with some breadcrumbs, onions, and a bunch of herbs and spices. I got some frozen puff pastry sheets, cut them into rectangles, then spooned the beef mixture onto the dough, and rolled them up. I brushed them with a bit of egg wash and popped them in the oven. While those were baking, I started on the meat pies. I browned the beef, chucked in some chopped onions, and let that simmer for a bit. Then, I poured in a load of gravy to make it nice and thick. I put the filling into some pre-made pie crusts and baked them until they were golden brown.
The lamingtons were a bit more fiddly. I cut the sponge cake into little squares. Then, I made a chocolate icing and got a big bowl of coconut ready. I dipped each cake square into the icing, then rolled it in the coconut. It was a bit messy, but it was kind of fun.
- The sausage rolls were a huge hit. Everyone loved the flaky pastry and the tasty filling.
- The meat pies were gone in a flash. The gravy was the perfect consistency, and the crust was nice and crispy.
- The lamingtons were the perfect sweet treat to end the meal. The chocolate and coconut combo was a winner.
All in all, the food was a success! Everyone had a great time, and there were hardly any leftovers. It was a fair dinkum Australia Day feast!