These Puff-Pastry Mummy Dogs Are Almost Too Cute to Eat

Four puff-pastry “mummy” hot dogs peer out from their flaky bandages, making a playful Halloween-party snack. 📸 Image via Timolina on Freepik.

When Halloween calls for a snack that is equal parts spooky, silly and delicious, send in the mummies. These flaky puff-pastry mummy dogs have tiny candy eyes, golden “bandages” and a warm, savory center, perfect for a classroom party, a movie-night snack board or a pre-trick-or-treat dinner.

They look impressively festive, but there is no complicated kitchen magic involved: wrap mini hot dogs with narrow strips of puff pastry, bake until golden, then give each little creature a pair of eyes. The more uneven the wrapping, the more charmingly ancient your mummies will look.

Puff-Pastry Mummy Dogs

Makes about 12

Ingredients

12 mini hot dogs or cocktail sausages
2 ready-rolled puff-pastry sheets, thawed but still cold
24 edible candy eyes
1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water, optional
Yellow mustard, ketchup or mayonnaise, for attaching the eyes
Parchment paper
Wooden skewers or lollipop sticks, optional

The basic version needs only hot dogs, puff pastry and candy eyes; mustard, mayo or ketchup can act as edible “glue” for the eyes.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the pastry into strips. Unroll the cold puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface. With a knife or pizza cutter, cut long strips about ¼ to ½ inch wide. They do not need to be perfectly even—ragged bandages are exactly the point.
Make the mummies. Wrap a strip loosely around each mini hot dog, overlapping it in places. Leave a small bare space near one end for the mummy’s face. Tuck or gently press the end of the pastry strip against the hot dog to help it stay in place.
Add sticks, if desired. For mummy pops like those in the photo, slide each finished mummy onto a wooden skewer or sturdy food-safe lollipop stick. Keep the stick’s lower end clear as a handle. For young children, it is safest to remove the skewers before serving.
Brush with egg wash. Arrange the mummies on the lined baking sheet, leaving a little room between them for the pastry to puff. Brush the pastry—not the exposed hot dog—with egg wash for a deeper golden finish. You can skip this step, but the mummies may look paler.
Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the pastry has puffed and turned light golden brown and the hot dogs are heated through. This matches the timing used for a similar mini puff-pastry mummy-dog recipe.
Give them their eyes. Let the mummies cool for a few minutes. Put a small dab of mustard, ketchup or mayonnaise on the back of each candy eye, then press two eyes onto the exposed hot-dog face.
Serve warm. Set out ketchup, mustard, cheese sauce or a spooky “swamp” dip of guacamole for dunking.

A Few Mummy-Making Tips

Keep puff pastry cold. If it becomes soft or sticky while you work, refrigerate it for 10 minutes. Cold pastry puffs better in the oven.
Wrap loosely. Puff pastry expands as it bakes. Tight wraps can cover the face or split in odd places—though, for a mummy, odd places are not necessarily a bad thing.
Add eyes after baking. Candy eyes can melt, discolor or slide if baked. A post-oven eye application gives every mummy its best startled expression.
Make them ahead. Wrap the mummies, cover them and refrigerate them for a few hours; bake shortly before guests arrive. Add the eyes only after baking.
Use full-sized hot dogs for a heartier version. Cut pastry strips a little longer and bake until the pastry is golden and the hot dogs are hot throughout.

Make It a Monster Spread

Pair the mummies with a cauldron of warm queso, a bowl of ketchup labeled “vampire blood,” and a mustard dip called “witch’s slime.” Add a simple platter of grapes, apple slices and pretzel sticks, and suddenly Halloween party food is handled with minimal fuss and maximum googly-eyed drama.

Whether they emerge perfectly wrapped or a little unraveled, these little pastry creatures are sure to disappear before the witching hour.

Breaking News