Pepper Jelly Hogs in Blanket (Printable)

Cocktail sausages wrapped in puff pastry with sweet pepper jelly glaze. Perfect party appetizer in 35 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 24 cocktail sausages (mini smoked sausages or mini hot dogs)

→ Pastry

02 - 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

→ Condiments

03 - 1/3 cup sweet pepper jelly

→ Dairy

04 - 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

→ Optional Garnishes

05 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
06 - 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Unfold thawed puff pastry on lightly floured surface and cut into 24 strips, each approximately 1 by 2.5 inches.
03 - Brush each pastry strip lightly with sweet pepper jelly.
04 - Place one cocktail sausage at the end of each pastry strip and roll up tightly with jelly side facing inward.
05 - Place wrapped sausages seam side down on prepared baking sheet in single layer.
06 - Brush tops with beaten egg. Optionally sprinkle with sesame seeds.
07 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown and puffed.
08 - Cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped chives before serving if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They disappear faster than you can plate them, which means you get to spend time with guests instead of standing over the stove.
  • The pepper jelly creates a glossy, sweet-spicy glaze that makes ordinary sausages taste like something you'd order at a fancy cocktail bar.
  • You only need four main ingredients and about half an hour from start to finish.
  • They taste impressive but require almost no cooking skill, just rolling and baking.
02 -
  • Don't skip the egg wash, it's the difference between pale pastry and that gorgeous burnished gold that makes people think you're a better cook than you are.
  • If your puff pastry feels too soft and sticky while you're cutting it, pop it back in the fridge for ten minutes to firm up.
  • Resist the urge to overfill the jelly, too much and it'll leak out and burn on the pan instead of glazing the pastry.
03 -
  • Use a pizza cutter to slice the puff pastry, it glides through without dragging or tearing the dough.
  • If you don't have a pastry brush, use the back of a spoon to spread the jelly, it's not as neat but it works.
  • For a smokier flavor, try using andouille or kielbasa cut into bite-sized pieces instead of cocktail sausages.
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