Name: Air-Fryer Pigs In Blankets
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup Dijon mustard; 2 tablespoons cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar; 2 tablespoons ketchup; 1 (9½ by 9-inch) sheet puff pastry , thawed; 1 large egg , beaten with 1 tablespoon water; 32 cocktail franks , patted dry; ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese; ½ teaspoon pepper

Why This Recipe Works

Puff pastry, with its crisp, flaky texture, gives our pigs in blankets a sophisticated vibe. A pizza wheel made slicing the dough into 32 equal strips easy. To ensure that the puff pastry blankets didn't unravel during air frying, we brushed the strips with egg wash and then pinched the end of each strip thin and pressed the pinched strips against the rolled dough to seal. Next, we brushed the top of the puff pastry with egg wash and sprinkled on a generous amount of grated Parmesan cheese and black pepper for a savory punch. A mere 6 minutes per batch in the air fryer at 375 degrees was all it took to cook the franks until golden brown and well puffed. We combined Dijon mustard, ketchup, cider vinegar, and brown sugar to make a sweet-savory, pantry-friendly sauce for dipping.

Before You Begin

To thaw frozen puff pastry, let it sit either in the refrigerator for 24 hours or on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour. One 10- to 13-ounce package of cocktail franks contains about 32 franks.

Instructions

for the sauce

Whisk all ingredients together in bowl; refrigerate until ready to serve.

for the pigs in blankets

Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Unfold puff pastry on lightly floured counter and roll into 12 by 9-inch rectangle, with short side parallel to counter edge, lightly flouring dough as needed.

Using pizza wheel or chef's knife, trim dough to 12 by 8-inch rectangle. Cut dough lengthwise into eight 1-inch strips. Cut each strip crosswise at three 3-inch intervals. (You should have thirty-two 3 by 1-inch dough strips.)

Working in small batches, lightly brush dough strips with egg wash. Roll 1 frank in each dough strip. Pinch ends of strips as thin as possible between your fingers (taking care not to tear dough), then press ends against rolled dough to seal. Transfer bundles, seam sides down, to prepared sheet. (Bundles can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)

Combine Parmesan and pepper in small bowl. Brush tops of bundles with egg wash and sprinkle with Parmesan mixture.

Lightly spray base of air-fryer basket with vegetable oil spray. Arrange 16 bundles in even layer in basket, seam sides down. Place basket in air fryer and set temperature to 375 degrees. Cook until pastry is golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer pigs in blankets to serving platter. Repeat with remaining bundles. Serve with sauce.