New Cocktail Party Classic - Everything Pigs In a Blanket

I have long contended that in the wide world of bagel flavors, the Everything is, hands down, the most quintessentially New York. In a related story, it also happens to be THE BEST. How could it not be? It's got it all - something for everyone, just like the city I associate it with. This is why I've had big plans to concoct my own Everything Topping for quite a while now. Since I don't do too much in the way of baking, I had visions of working it into hors d'oeuvres.

"Everything" Pigs In A Blanket, Photo: NK

Everything Topping! Photo, NK

It was in brainstorming this year's annual Mad Men premier recipes (prior viewing party menus here and here) that it dawned on me that adding Everything Topping to everyone's favorite hors d'oeuvre, you guessed it - Pigs in a Blanket, would be the perfect way to make a classic cocktail party favorite new again while also making it a little more "New York." 

These Everything Pigs In A Blanket are incredibly easy to make and have just the right amount of wow factor to make them the perfect party offering that will also please a crowd. I like to serve them with grainy mustard for dipping, but they are delicious on their own as well. 

Use good quality Hot Dogs and if possible, serve them fresh from the oven. You can also microwave the pigs in 20 second intervals if you need to heat them from room temperature.

Now it wouldn't be a Mad Men premier without at stiff cocktail, so we've included a purist version of the Old Fashioned - a favorite of Don's, minus the muddled fruit, and presumably the truest form of the classic drink.  

Everything Pigs In A Blanket 
Makes about 20
Adapted from Food.com 

Cook's Note: The Everything Mix below is formulated specifically for use in these Pigs In A Blanket because the salt content needed to be balanced with the salinity of the Hot Dog. If you would like to make true Everything Topping for use on something more plain, such as rolls or, of course, bagels, simply use 1 teaspoon of Kosher Salt rather than the 1/4 teaspoon required below. 

Ingredients 

1 Package Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

8 Hot Dogs, we prefer Applegate Farms Natural, cut into equal thirds

Grainy Mustard for serving, optional

Everything Topping:
2 teaspoons Poppy Seeds

2 teaspoons Dried Onion Bits (We used Frontier Brand) 

2 teaspoons White Sesame Seed

2 teaspoons Dried Minced Garlic or Garlic Granules (not Garlic Powder)

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 egg lightly beaten 

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 375 with the rack in the middle.

2. In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the Everything Topping. 

Prepped and ready to bake, Photo: NK

3. Unroll the Pillsbury Crescent Rolls on a work surface. Carefully pull apart each triangle and cut them the long way using a sharp knife in order to create 3 skinnier triangles.

4. Starting with the base of each triangle, roll each Hot Dog third up in one piece of dough. When finished, press the point of the triangle into the dough to seal. Repeat until all the dogs are wrapped.

5. Using a pastry brush, paint the Egg Wash across the top of each Pig. Press 1-2 generous pinches of Everything Topping into the dough.

6. Place the pigs in the oven and bake 18-20 minutes, turning the pan midway through the baking, until pigs are golden brown and puffed.

7. Serve warm with optional grainy mustard! 

Now for your official Mad Men cocktail, we give you 
The Purist's Old Fashioned

A purist Old Fashioned, Photo: NK

CLICK HERE for the recipe.

Cheers!