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Hot Dog Mummies
My family loves Pigs in Blankets which, in our part of the world, are sausages wrapped in puff pastry. For Halloween, I like to do things a bit differently and make these Hot Dog Mummies instead. At what other time could I make such cute-looking hot dogs??
I have lived in Switzerland for nearly two decades and Halloween has only started to take off in the last few years. Most of it is marketing related; many of the local chocolate companies (there are many in Switzerland!) sell Halloween-themed chocolates at this time of the year, and many of the costumes which are sold for Fasnacht are brought out again for Halloween.
Trick or Treating is not that common here, unless it is an organised activity where participating homes are marked on a map, so the kids know which doors they can ring. But surely and slowly, Halloween is becoming a big tradition here among the Swiss, and I’m very happy because it is so much fun!
Hot Dog Mummies Recipe
This recipe for Hot Dog Mummies couldn’t be easier – hot dog sausages wrapped in puff pastry!
In Zurich, some bakeries sell Wienerli im Teig, which translates as “Viennese sausages in pastry”. They look very much like these Mummy Hot Dogs but minus the candy eyes ????
Speaking of eyes, I have used candy eyes in the accompanying photos which have been attached with a dot of ketchup. If it’s just for my kids, I’m more likely to just squeeze a bit of ketchup or mustard to mark the eyes. But if I am making these Hot Dog Mummies to entertain a small crowd, I will go all out and use candy eyes. The kids eat so much candy from Trick or Treating at this time of the year that a few candy eyes won’t make a difference 😉
What Type of Sausages to Use
This recipe uses hot dog sausages, also known as Frankfurter sausages, Vienna sausages or wiener sausages. In Switzerland, they are called Wienerli.
Hot dog sausages are usually made with pork, but you can also find them made with chicken, or as vegan sausages.
I personally like the chicken sausages, which are also convenient if someone in your circle of friends can’t eat pork. I also buy the very straight variety which work better in these sorts of recipes where you are wrapping the sausages in pastry. But if you can only find curved sausages (which, to be honest, look more natural and organic), they will work totally fine too.
How to Make Hot Dog Mummies
Step 1
I use shop-bought puff pastry sheets which are rectangular in shape, approx. 25 x 42 cm.
Use a sharp knife or a pizza wheel to cut long strips from the sheet of puff pastry, about 1.5 cm/1 inch in width. You will need one strip of puff pastry per sausage.
Step 2
Starting from one end of the sausage, slowly wrap it with the pastry, slightly overlapping the pastry as you do so, although a few gaps here and there won’t matter. You can make it as orderly or as erratic as you like. Once you reach the end of the sausage, leave a space wide enough for you to mark the eyes later. Keep in mind that the pastry will expand as it bakes. Secure the end of the pastry strip under the sausage.
Repeat with the remaining sausages and strips of pastry.
Step 3
Brush the pastry all over generously with egg wash. Bake at 210°C/410°F (without fan) for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and cooked through.
Step 4
Once the hot dogs have cooled down a little, mark the eyes using one of the following methods:
- Dot some ketchup with a small piping bag; or
- Dot some mustard with a small piping bag; or
- Attach candy eyes with a dot of ketchup or mustard.
Tips for Making Mummy Hot Dogs
- Make them ahead of time. Wrap the sausages in the puff pastry, and then keep them in the fridge for up to 1-2 days, or in the freezer. Brush with egg wash just before baking.
- Use straight sausages. These Mummy Hot Dogs look best with straight sausages, but if you can only find curved sausages, they will work totally fine too.
- Make mini hot dogs. Halve the sausages to make snack-sized Mummy Hot Dogs.
Halloween Menu
Whether we are celebrating Halloween with friends or just at home, my menu for Halloween has been the same for many years: I make my Classic Pumpkin Soup to serve alongside these Hot Dog Mummies. Both recipes can be made in advance, which means that I can join the kids for a spooky (and usually freezing) evening of Trick or Treating before coming home to a warm and cosy meal.
And although the children will have a tonne of candy and chocolate for dessert, it is a tradition in our home to make my Peanut Butter Spider Cookies every Halloween. In recent years, my kids have decorated the cookies themselves, so now there is less work for me 🙂
Hot Dog Mummies
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry, ready-made and ready-rolled into a 25 x 42 cm rectangle
- 12-14 hot dog sausages
- 1 egg, lightly beaten with a dash of water
- ketchup, and/or mustard
- candy eyes, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 210°C/410°F (without fan).
- Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
- Use a knife, pastry wheel or pizza cutter to cut long strips of pastry, about 1.5 cm/1 inch in width.
- You will need one strip of pastry per sausage.
- Start wrapping a sausage from one end with a strip of pastry.
- Overlap the pastry slightly as you wrap the sausage, but some gaps here and there are ok. Much also depends on how long your strip of pastry is compared to the length of the sausages.
- Once you reach the end of the sausage, leave enough space for you to mark the eyes later.
- Secure the end of the pastry under the sausage.
- Place the wrapped sausage onto the lined baking sheet.
- Repeat Steps 5-9 with the remaining sausages.
- Lightly brush all of the pastries with some egg wash.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pastries are golden brown.
- Once the hot dogs have cooled down a little, mark the eyes. You can do this by squeezing a tiny dot of ketchup or mustard for the eyes (I use a small disposable piping bag), or by adhering some candy eyes to the ketchup or mustard.
- The hot dogs are best served warm, but they also taste good at room temperature.
Kitchen Notes
- INSTRUCTIONS FOR AIR FRYER
Follow the above instructions, but use the following baking guide:
* Bake at 200°C/392°F for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden.
* Re-heat at 180°C/356°F for 6-8 minutes, or until warmed through. - OVEN TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website state temperatures for a regular oven (i.e. a conventional oven without fan). If you have a convection oven with a fan, please consult the manufacturer’s handbook on how to adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly. - CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
These are called Wienerli im Teig in Switzerland. I make these very often. But they look so cute with the candy eyes! From where did you buy them?
Hi Muriel,
I bought these candy eyes from the baking aisle in Coop 🙂 They usually sell them in the large Coop supermarkets.
These hot dogs were so easy to make and the kids loved them 🙂
Well! I must say this is very interesting and cute idea. These hot dog mummies look actually great. Thank you for the step by step instructions. Surely, we will love to try these.