For your next witchy watch party, do like the Sanderson Sisters of “Hocus Pocus” (1993) and keep a well-stocked pantry of potion-making ingredients to feed your guests. Skip the trip to the morgue and make your own Dead Man’s Toes with this recipe, which riffs on pigs in a blanket —and comes with a tasty Dijon dip.
“These illusory snacks may look like severed appendages, but rest assured — they’re far more delicious than they appear,” write recipe authors Ryan Alvarez and Adam Merrin in their new cookbook, “The Halloween Movie Cookbook: 65 Hauntingly Delicious Recipes Inspired by Your Favorite Spooky Movies” (Simon Element, $25).
Dead Man’s Toes (Pigs in a Blanket)
Pair with: Hocus Pocus (1993)
Yield: Makes 16 toes
INGREDIENTS
For the Dijon Dip:
- 3 tablespoons coarse ground mustard
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
- 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Toes:
- 1 package refrigerated crescent dough
- 1 package hot dogs
- Ketchup
- 1 large egg
- Sliced almonds
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the Dijon dip: In a small bowl, combine the coarse ground mustard, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper and stir until blended. Set aside.
Make the toes: Open the package of crescent dough, unroll the dough and lay it flat on a cutting board. Cut the rectangle of dough into strips about 1/2 inch wide.
Cut the hot dogs in half. To create the toe illusion, first cut a small slice off the round end of the hot dog at an angle, which will make space for the toenail. Using 1 to 2 strips of dough, wrap the flat end of the hot dog to look like a bandage, leaving the round end uncovered. Place on the prepared baking sheet with the toenail facing up. Repeat with the remaining hot dogs and dough. Place a small drop of ketchup (less than ⅛ teaspoon) in the center of each toenail.
In a small bowl, stir together the egg with 1 teaspoon water until smooth and blended. Lightly brush the egg wash over the dough strips. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the baking sheet from the oven and place a sliced almond on each hot dog to create the toenail, using the ketchup as glue. Return to the oven and bake for 3 to 5 minutes, until the dough is golden. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve warm with the Dijon dip. Bone appetit!
Excerpted from “The Halloween Movie Cookbook: 65 Hauntingly Delicious Recipes Inspired by Your Favorite Spooky Movies.” Copyright © 2026, Ryan Alvarez and Adam Merrin. Photography Copyright © 2026 by Lauren Volo. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.