Pigs in Blankets

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Rimmed baking sheets
• •Parchment paper
• •Sharp knife or pizza cutter
• •Pastry brush
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare sausages and workspace

   Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove sausages from their packaging and spread them on a paper towel-lined plate. Pat each one thoroughly dry with additional paper towels. Moisture is your enemy here. Wet sausages create steam pockets that separate the pastry from its cargo, leaving you with hollow shells and disappointed guests.

   Cold sausages work better than room temperature. Keep them refrigerated until the moment you wrap them.
2. 2

   Prepare egg wash

   Whisk together the egg and water in a small bowl until completely smooth and slightly frothy. If using the optional Dijon mustard, whisk it in now. The mustard adds subtle tang and helps the pastry develop a deeper golden color. Set a pastry brush beside it.

3. 3

   Cut pastry into strips

   Unfold one sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface. If cracks appear, press them gently together with your fingertips. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the pastry into 24 strips, each approximately 3 inches long and 1 inch wide. Work quickly. The pastry should remain cold. If it becomes too soft and sticky, slide it onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for ten minutes.

4. 4

   Wrap the sausages

   Brush a thin layer of egg wash along one long edge of a pastry strip. Place a dried sausage at the opposite end, perpendicular to the strip. Roll the pastry around the sausage, ending with the egg-washed edge pressed against the roll to seal. The pastry should overlap slightly. Place seam-side down on your prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining strips and sausages, spacing them one inch apart.

   Leave the ends of the sausages exposed. This looks charming and allows steam to escape, keeping the pastry crisp.
5. 5

   Repeat with second sheet

   Cut and wrap the second pastry sheet exactly as you did the first. Once all forty-eight pigs are snug in their blankets, refrigerate both baking sheets for at least fifteen minutes. This step is not optional. Cold pastry hits the hot oven and puffs dramatically. Warm pastry slumps and weeps butter.

6. 6

   Finish and bake

   While the pigs chill, preheat your oven to 400°F with a rack positioned in the center. Remove one sheet from the refrigerator. Brush the top of each pastry generously with egg wash, then sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt and cracked pepper. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the pastry is deeply golden and the layers are visibly puffed and crisp.

7. 7

   Cool briefly and serve

   Let the pigs rest on the baking sheet for three minutes. They emerge from the oven with molten interiors that will burn unwary mouths. Transfer to a serving platter and set out bowls of mustard for dipping. Bake the second sheet while the first disappears. They will.

Chef Tips

• •Store-bought puff pastry is entirely acceptable here. Pepperidge Farm and Dufour both produce honest products. Life is too short to make puff pastry for cocktail snacks.
• •For a crowd-pleasing variation, brush the pastry with a thin layer of honey mustard before wrapping, or sprinkle everything bagel seasoning over the egg wash instead of plain salt.
• •Not all cocktail sausages taste the same. Seek out brands with natural casings and actual smoke flavor. The ingredient list should read like food, not chemistry.
• •Leftover pigs in blankets (should such a thing exist) reheat beautifully in a 375°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes. The microwave turns the pastry to leather. Avoid it.

Advance Preparation

• •Wrapped, unbaked pigs can be arranged on parchment-lined baking sheets, covered tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. Add 2 to 3 minutes to the baking time if baking from very cold.
• •For longer storage, freeze the wrapped unbaked pigs on a sheet until solid, then transfer to freezer bags. They keep for 2 months. Bake directly from frozen at 400°F for 25 to 28 minutes.
• •This recipe scales easily. For 24 pieces, use one pastry sheet and one package of sausages. For 96 pieces (a proper party), double everything and bake in batches, keeping unbaked trays refrigerated until oven space opens.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 piece (about 18g)