Mini Veggie Corn Dogs

This recipe was inspired by one that I found on the Food Network site several years ago and it quickly became a party favorite. It’s easy to swap out the hot dogs for a meat free version to turn this in to a weekday vegetarian friendly appetizer that’s fun for both kids and adults.

I make these with organic flour, corn meal, milk and eggs and since they are baked, not deep fried, I feel slightly less guilty about this guilty pleasure.

If you decide to make these with real meat, look for nitrate free, pasture raised beef or pork dogs such as Fork in the Road. www.forkintheroad.com


Ingredients
1 cup milk
1 package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting and kneading
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
9 vegetarian hot dogs (I used Smart Dogs www.lightlife.com)
1 egg
Poppy seeds
Flake or kosher salt


Directions:
Heat the milk in a saucepan to 100 degrees. Pour the warm milk into a medium bowl. Add the yeast and let sit for two minutes.

Add the olive oil, brown sugar and corn meal.

Gently stir until the ingredients are combined.

Add the flour, baking soda, cayenne pepper and salt.

Mix until the ingredients are combined. The dough will be slightly sticky.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for about five minutes.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a towel and set in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size, about an hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.


Slice the hot dogs in half and place a skewer in the cut end of one. If they are extra long, you can cut them into three pieces.

Gently turn the dough out onto a flour surface, using a knife, cut the dough into 19 pieces.

Using your hands roll each piece of dough out to ten inches. Wrap each piece of dough around the hot dog, gently pinch the edges to seal.

Set each wrapped dog onto a well oiled baking sheet.

Brush the tops with egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds and flake or kosher salt. Place the baking sheet in a 450 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Serve on a platter with small bowls of catsup and mustard.