Next month I am inviting the Movies & Munchies folks to watch any and all Halloween movies. I decided to post this invitation a little bit early to give people more time to explore!
To prepare an invitation, I rewatched some movies featuring mummies, took notes, and made some gussied up mummy dogs. I look forward to the creative recipes the group will undoubtedly share. You are officially invited!
Watch a movie that inspires you into the kitchen. Please get me your permalink by Wednesday, October 25th. I will get a round-up posted by the weekend so people have a chance to make your creations for Halloween.
On the Screen
Jake and I watched the 2017 reboot of The Mummy. Big names - Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe - and a big budget and it still fell flat. So, we went back and watched the 1999 version with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. I love archaelological action flicks such as the entire Indiana Jones franchise.
Set in 1920s Egypt, the movie centers around adventurer Rick O’Conell, played by Brendan Fraser, and librarian and Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan, played by Rachel Weisz, who have inadvertently released a centuries-old mummy, Imhotep. Along with Evelyn’s brother, the group must compete with rival treasure hunters and halt the mummy from destroying the world. This movie spans a variety of genres – action, adventure, fantasy, history, horror, humor, and romance. However, everything comes together in harmonious, delicious fun. I vastly preferred the 1999 movie to the 2017 reboot. Regardless, both of them made me want to make mummy dogs!
Flaky Mummy Dogs
You can certainly use frozen puff pastry or any other dough you prefer.
Ingredients
makes a dozen
200 grams sourdough starter
500 grams flour plus more for rolling
60 grams organic granulated sugar
2 eggs for the dough plus 1 egg for baking
160 grams warm water
2 sticks butter, cold
12 hot dogs
mustard and ketchup for serving
Also needed: rolling pin, waxed paper, baking sheet, silicone brush for the egg wash
Procedure
Place all of the ingredients (but only 2 eggs!) through the warm water in a large mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon to blend until a shaggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured workspace and knead until smooth and well-combined, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
Place the dough in a covered container and refrigerate for at 4 hours or overnight. Once you're ready to make the croissant dogs, remove the dough from the fridge and let stand at room temperature while you prepare the butter.
Flour a piece of wax paper and pound each stick of butter into rectangle on that paper. Some people use a ruler and make it very precise. I am less precise. Wrap the pounded butter and chill.
When you're ready, sprinkle a piece of parchment paper with flour and place dough on top. Roll the dough into a rectangle roughly 12"x 20". Remember, I'm less than precise, but it was around that size.
Remove one rectangle of butter from the fridge and lay it in the middle of the dough. Fold the corners of the dough in to form an envelope.
Using the rolling pin, roll it out to 12" x 20" again. Place the second rectangle of butter on the dough and make another envelope. Then roll it out to the 12" x 20" rectangle, but this time, fold one third of the dough over the other third, like folding a letter.
Now you have to turn the dough. Turning the dough, by rolling and folding, creates very thin layers of butter and dough. This recipe needs to be turned 4 times for each sheet of butter. If the butter pushes through a layer of dough, rub it with a little flour. If the butter seems to be melting, chill the dough between each turn. Keep the parchment, the rolling pin, and the surface of the pastry well-floured.
To turn: Rotate the package of dough and butter so that the narrower, open end is facing you, like the pages of a book. Roll the dough out to a rectangle and fold the top third down and the bottom third up, again like a letter. Rotate the dough 90 degrees so that the open end is again facing you. Repeat. Roll the dough out to a rectangle and fold the top third down and the bottom third up. That's 2 turns. Repeat two more times. Do that again with the second butter sheet.
Finally roll out the dough to approximately 1/4" thick. Then slice the dough into twelve long rectangles. Wrap the dough around the hot dogs, trying to cover as much of the dog as possible - so a slight angle of the dough helps.
Place the dogs on a baking sheets. Beat the last egg and brush the beaten eggs over the dough. Let rise for 30 minutes at room temperature while the oven heats. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the croissant dogs in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
The croissant dough should be browned and flaky and the dogs warmed all the way through.
Serve immediately with ketchup and mustard or your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Stay tuned to see what the Movies & Munchies group creates. I will have a round-up posted for you in time for Halloween.