Franks in a Blanket is a very easy 2-ingredient dish (not including optional egg wash or sesame seed topping). Delicious as a snack or appetizer any time!
There are other names for Franks in a Blanket. One is Hotdog Puffs. Then there is Pigs in a Blanket, which is similar, but the hotdog is often wrapped in bacon and not dough. And another is Wiener Winks, with bread is used as the wrap.
There seems to be a bit of a disagreement regarding where the idea first originated. Here is one interesting story of origin: https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/pigs-in-a-blanket-origin-story.
The hotdog, on the other hand, is believed to have originated from the German frankfurter.
Franks in a Blanket are a perfect fill when you want a snack or as an appetizer when your dinner isn’t quite ready.
On Thanksgiving, for example, just set out a plate of Franks in a Blanket, and it will curb hunger until that turkey is ready and dinner is served.
Also, great for parties or get-togethers or snacks while watching a show or game.
Once you make them, they may just become your go-to anytime!
Want to make them dairy-free? Use pastry dough without milk. Simple as that!
General information regarding cooking:
The following information may not particularly pertain to this recipe but rather answers general useful questions related to cooking.
What are the different oils used in cooking?
“High-heat” oils have neutral flavors and have been processed in order to handle high temperatures and are good for sautéing, searing, and frying. These include canola oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, and grapeseed oil, each with its own “best for” with chefs.
Some oils have their own flavor and are good for sautéing and roasting and add a little extra to the dish. These include extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and peanut oil. Extra virgin olive oil works well with roasting or sautéing, but not for deep frying.
Coconut oil is good in dishes where a slightly coconut flavor enhances the dish, and peanut oil is good for deep frying and will add a subtle nutty taste and smell. Many Asian dishes call for peanut oil in the ingredients.
Then there are oils that are not used with heat but rather for dressing up foods, such as sesame oil, flaxseed oil, and walnut oil, among others.
What does it mean when recipes say “to taste” about an ingredient?
When recipes say “to taste,” it means that you can put in as little or as much as you like to your own taste. Some recipes have many ingredients that a cook can adjust to their own taste when cooking (not so much when baking though).
The best way to calculate what your taste is with a recipe that you are not yet familiar with is to first taste the dish and then add the “to taste” ingredient GRADUALLY, a little at a time—a splash of this or a pinch of that—until the dish is just the way you like it. Make sure to stir the ingredient after each time you add it so that the flavor will distribute evenly and become part of the dish. Then taste again. Repeat until you reach your personal preference.
Note: If you plan on using the recipe again, it is highly recommended to make a note of what and how much you added so that you can refer to it next time.
What does it mean when a recipe says that an ingredient is “optional”?
If an ingredient is “optional,” it means that you can add it in or not based on your own preference. An optional ingredient can be flavor related (i.e., salty, sweet, spicy, etc.), appearance related (garnish), or even something like nuts or chocolate chips in baking.
What does “savory” mean?
“Savory” refers to foods that are not sweet, such as foods that taste salty, spicy, or herbal.
What cooking measurement expressions mean:
Drop – ¹/₆₄ teaspoon (or less—it’s however a literal drop comes out)
Smidgen – ¹/₃₂ teaspoon
Pinch – ¹⁄₁₆ teaspoon (what you can grab between your finger and thumb)
Dash – ⅛ teaspoon (what comes out when you shake out of a shaker or bottle)
Tad – ¼ teaspoon
Dollop—a glob on a spoon (like with mayonnaise or ice cream)
Scant—a scant cup is almost a cup, just below the line.
Heaping—above the line of the spoon (teaspoon, tablespoon)*
Some useful cooking terms:
Sauté: Cooking quickly in a small amount of oil or fat in a frying pan on a relatively high heat that causes a slight browning of the food on the outside.
Sear: Browning the outside of meat at a high temperature.
Sweat: Cooking vegetables (often onions) in a little oil or fat on a low heat until they become soft and translucent (no browning).
Simmer: Heating liquid to just below the boiling point (has slow bubbles).
Boil: Cooking food submerged in water hot enough to have rapid, rolling bubbles.
Poach: Cooking in a liquid, or partially submerged, on low heat.
Roast: Cooking with consistent dry heat in an enclosed space, over 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake: Cooking with dry heat in an enclosed space, under 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Broil: Cooking with intense heat from above.
Grill: Cooking with heat from below, typically over a flame or coals.
Braise: Cooking already-seared meat in a small amount of liquid in a covered pot.
Blanch: Quickly submerging food into boiling water and then immediately into ice water to stop the cooking.
Steam: Cooking with vapor from hot simmering water from below.
Shred: Creating long, thin strips (not necessarily uniform) of vegetables, like in coleslaw.
Grate: Scraping food against a surface with rough, tiny holes that break it down into very small, fine pieces.
Zest: The scrapings of the colorful outer skin of a citrus fruit.
Mince: Cutting into the smallest pieces possible.
Dice: Cutting into small cubes.
Chop: Cutting into small (bite-size) pieces.
Julienne: Cutting into long, thin strips (like matchsticks).
Glaze: a thin liquid with high-sugar or high-fat coating applied to food or baked goods that gives a shiny look and adds flavor.
Fold in: To gently combine a light ingredient into a heavier one.
Al dente: Cooking rice or pasta to the point before it gets soft (is slightly firm).
Emulsify: Forcing two liquids together that don’t normally combine (like oil and vinegar) into a smooth sauce or dressing.
Deglaze: Adding a liquid to a hot pan after searing meat to loosen the browned bits (called fond) that got stuck.
Slurry: A mixture of liquid and dry starch, such as cornstarch or potato starch, into a paste that is used to thicken sauces and soups. One can use flour to make a slurry as well.
Roux: (pronounced “roo”) is a cooked mixture of fat and flour.
Of course, with Easy Kosher Franks in Blankets, you don’t even need to know how to cook! Just wrap the hotdogs in the dough, pop in the oven, and you are good to go!
Everyday pantry essentials to keep in your kitchen (suggested)
While not all of these essentials will be relevant to this particula recipe, I have found that this list of “essentials” are great to always have on hand in my kitchen and have saved me numerous sudden trips to the store or having to borrow from a neighbor.
While this is my comprehensive list based on my cooking needs, you should definitely make your own based on yours.
Utensils:
- Measuring cups for liquid
- Measuring cups for solids (flour, sugar, etc.)
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Kitchen scale
NOTE: When using measuring cups and spoons, make sure that the measurements are comparable to one another (example: that 4 tablespoons equals 1/4 of your measuring cup). You’d be surprised to know that not all measuring cups are the same, and this can throw your measurements off.
Seasoning and flavoring:
- salt (my recipes use regular table salt)
- ground black or white pepper
- granulated garlic or garlic powder (I prefer granulated)
- onion powder
- sweet paprika and/or sweet pepper flakes (paprika is ground dried red pepper, pepper flakes are crushed dried red pepper)
- hot paprika, hot pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper (moderately spicy dried ground chili pepper) for those occasional spicy dishes
- ground turmeric
- ground cumin
- ground cinnamon
- ground ginger
- ground nutmeg
- ground cloves (for pumpkin flavors)
- sugar (granulated)
- brown sugar
- chicken consommé powder / beef bouillon powder (regular or vegetarian)
- onion soup mix
- onion flakes (substitute for fresh onion—3 tablespoons for 1 medium onion).
- various herbs
- additional spices to adapt taste to preference
Misc:
- oil / margarine / butter / cooking spray
- coconut cream as a dairy-free cream substitute
- flavorless milk substitute as a dairy-free milk alternative
- cornstarch as a thickening agent
- flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- bread crumbs or cornflake crumbs (you can make these with your blender or food processor) for coating
- condiments, such as ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce
- tomato sauce/tomato paste/canned tomatoes—diced or crushed/pasta sauce
- soy sauce (makes a great flavoring for savory foods)
- ready-made pie crusts and dough (to just add filling)
We always have eggs in the fridge and onions, rice, and potatoes on our shelves, as well as pasta.
In addition, having some fresh vegetables in the fridge, such as carrots, celery, tomatoes, bell peppers (various colors), etc., can be very useful when putting together a quick but delicious meal.
It is also a good idea to have some ground meat or chicken (breast, ground, or in parts) in the freezer for anyone who likes meat dishes in a snap.
Weather can have an effect on some of the spices and on the chicken consommé powder, so I keep as many of the seasonings in the refrigerator or freezer as I can, and I keep everything tightly closed in containers (you will be surprised to know just how determined moths are at getting into sealed bags and how hot red pepper powder can attract little black bugs—YUCK!).
Therefore, store your items properly.
Like hotdogs? Try: DairyFree Corn Dogs or Kosher Franks and Beans !
Franks in a Blanket
Easy and delicious dish of hotdogs wrapped in pastry dough.
Ingredients
- 10 kosher hotdogs (unusually, one standard package) *
- puff pastry dough, kosher and dairy free (approximately 30 inches in length) *
- 1 egg (for coating, if desired)
- plain sesame seeds, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Cut hotdogs into 3 pieces (a standard hotdog is 6 inches long, so these will be 2 inches long each) or use mini hotdogs.
- Cut pastry dough into long triangles that are 1" at the base (the base should be along the length of the dough and the height should be the width of the dough) OR, alternately, cut into 1-inch inch recangular strips where the width of the dough will be the length of the strip.
- Place the hotdog at the base of the triangle or at the bottom end of a rectangular strip and roll the hotdog up the dough, wrapping it, until you reach the other end (if you are using triangles, then you will be rolling up to the point).
- Repeat with all of the hotdogs.
- Beat egg and brush over the top of the franks in blankets to give a shine (if desired)
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds (if desired).
- Place in an oven that has been preheated to 375°F and bake approximately 12 minutes or until they turn a golden color on top.
- Serve warm.
Notes
* It doesn't matter how many hotdogs you have or how much dough as long as you have enough dough to cover most of the hotdog pieces, So, if you have 10 hotdogs that are 6 inches long and you cut them into 3 pieces that are each 2 inches long, you will need enough dough to cover at least 1 inch of hotdog (if you leave 1/2 inch out each side of the dough). Therefore, you will need a length of puff pastry dough that is at least 30 inches long. The width doesn't matter as much - the more you have, the more dough will surround the hotdog.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 288Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 510mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 7g