A Party Fave in a Puffer Jacket
Pigs in blankets are such a classic party food. They are always a crowd pleaser. I’ve been thinking of making pigs in blankets for months now and the holidays gave me a reason to make them. This year, Sean and I are hunkering down for the holidays alone but together pandemic-style. Instead of making big meals, we’re going to nibble our way through lots of fun appetizers and party foods.
I decided pigs in blankets are much more sophisticated in a puff pastry blanket than crescent roll dough. The puff pastry bakes up so light, crispy, and buttery. They are so puffy that I think this recipe should be called pigs in puffer jackets.
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I created two flavor profiles for my pigs in blankets. The first is inspired by a NYC deli. I brushed the puff pastry with maple mustard and sprinkled everything bagel seasoning on top. For the second flavor profile, I headed to Korea. I brushed spicy gochujang ketchup onto the puff pastry and toasted sesame seeds garnishing the top.
How to Store Pigs in Blankets
Pigs in blankets are super easy to make. You can pre-roll a large batch and store in the unbaked pastries in the refrigerator or freezer. For a party, this will allow you to prep a bunch of these apps in advance and then bake in batches as needed. This ensures fresh, warm puff pastry piggies for every guest no matter how late they show up.
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Cover and store in the refrigerator, covered tightly, for up to a week before your event. For longer-lasting, freezer-ready snacks, roll the sausages in the puff pastry dough, place on a small plate or sheet pan, and pop them into the freezer. Once they are frozen through, move them to a zip top bag so that you can portion out servings for future cravings.
Whether storing in the fridge or freezer, wait until you are ready to bake to brush with egg wash and sprinkle on your seasoning garnishes.
Video: Watch Me Make This Recipe
Puff Pastry Pigs in Blankets Two Ways
Ingredients
- ~30 Lil Smokies cocktail sausages
- 1 sheet puff pastry dough from the frozen section of the grocery store, thawed
- 1 egg beaten
- everything bagel seasoning for garnish
- toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Maple Mustard Sauce
- 2 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
Gochujang Ketchup
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp gochujang paste
- ½ tsp soy sauce
- ¼ tsp sesame oil
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F degrees.
- In a small bowl, mix together the Dijon mustard and maple syrup. Stir together until well combined. Set aside.In another small bowl, mix together ketchup, gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic paste. Stir together until well combined. Set aside.
- Unfold the thawed puff pastry on a piece of parchment paper. Roll it out with a rolling pin to create a slightly larger rectangle from the puff pastry and to thin out the dough by about 50%. If the dough cracks where the original folds were, just pinch it together and roll over that section to repair it. Use a pizza cutter to cut the puff pastry in half lengthwise.
- Spread the mustard sauce on one half of the puff pastry leaving about 1/2 inch clear along the long edges. Spread the gochujang ketchup on the other half of the puff pastry leaving about 1/2 inch clear along the long edges.
- Cut each half of the puff pastry into about 12-15 2-inch wide strips (depending on the length of your dough.)
- Roll a sausage in each strip of dough, overlapping the dough to cover the entire sausage with just the ends peaking out.
- Place the wrapped pigs in blankets on a sheet pan and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up the puff pastry before baking. This will allow the pastry to get a better puff in the oven.
- Combine the beaten egg with a tablespoon of water and stir together. Then, using a pastry brush, brush each pastry with egg wash. Sprinkle the pigs brushed with mustard with everything bagel seasoning. Sprinkle the pigs brushed with ketchup with toasted seasame seeds.
- Bake for about 20-30 minutes until the puff pastry has puffed up and is golden brown. Serve with leftover dipping sauces on the side.
Notes
- You can find gochujang at a well-stocked grocery store, Asian market, or Amazon.
- To prep and store in the refrigerator, after wrapping in puff pastry, but before the egg wash, place on a small baking sheet and cover well with plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate for up to a week. Brush with egg wash and garnish with toppings right before baking.
- To prep and store in the freezer, after wrapping in puff pastry, but before the egg wash, place on a small baking sheet and place in the freezer until the pastries are frozen. Then place in a zip top bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Brush with egg wash and garnish with toppings right before baking. You don’t need to thaw before baking, but your bake time might take an extra minute or two.
Things You Might Need For This Recipe
Gochujang Chili Paste
Everything Bagel Seasoning
Silicone Pastry Brush
Pizza Cutter
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