Mummy Pigs in a Blanket: Puff Pastry-Wrapped Halloween Sausages with Mustard Eyes

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Serves 8 (makes 24)

Ingredients

• 1 sheet (about 9 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed but still cold
• 24 cocktail sausages or mini hot dogs, patted dry
• 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
• 1 teaspoon everything bagel seasoning or sesame seeds (optional)
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard, for the eyes
• 1/4 cup ketchup, for dipping
• 1/4 cup honey mustard, for dipping
• Black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Unfold the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it slightly to even it out. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, slice it into thin strips about 1/4 inch wide.
3. Wrap each sausage with 2 or 3 strips of pastry, winding them loosely and crisscrossing in a random pattern like bandages. Leave a small gap near one end exposed for the face.
4. Place the wrapped sausages on the baking sheets 1 inch apart, seam side down, and brush the pastry with egg wash. Sprinkle with seasoning or sesame seeds if using.
5. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the pans halfway, until the pastry is puffed and deep golden brown.
6. Let the mummies cool for 5 minutes. Using a toothpick or the tip of a squeeze bottle, dot two small mustard eyes onto the exposed sausage on each one.
7. Arrange on a platter with ketchup and honey mustard for dipping and serve warm. They can be assembled up to a day ahead, refrigerated, and baked just before guests arrive.
8. Pigs in a blanket have been an American party staple since the 1950s, when canned crescent dough made wrapping cocktail franks a two-minute job. The mummy makeover, with its ragged pastry bandages and tiny mustard eyes, has become one of the most searched Halloween appetizers in the United States because it is fast, kid-friendly and reliably devoured in the first ten minutes of any party.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 290 kcal
• Protein: 9g
• Fat: 21g
• Carbohydrates: 16g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 3g
• Sodium: 680mg