Dead Man's Fingers

Transform Lit'l Smokies into creepy fingers with three ghoulish dipping sauces for a haunting Halloween appetizer.

12 min Serves 10 Medium American

Our own summary of the original — the full post and photos live at theanthonykitchen.com.

Craft spooky 'dead man's fingers' using Lit'l Smokies carved to look like severed digits. Serve alongside three homemade dipping sauces: a creamy pickle mustard sauce, a sweet-tart cranberry ketchup, and a spicy jalapeño jelly over cream cheese. Each sauce yields about 1 to 1.5 cups, perfect for a party.

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Pat the Lit'l Smokies dry with paper towels. Stand one sausage upright on a cutting board and use a paring knife to shave off about 1/2 inch from the tip to form a fingernail shape.

Lay the sausage flat. Cut two shallow slits just below the nail area and three slits on the opposite end to create finger and knuckle creases. Transfer all sausages to the prepared baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon canola oil, and toss to coat. Spread them apart and bake for 10 minutes. Serve warm with dipping sauces.

Place half of the minced dill pickles and all remaining pickle sauce ingredients (1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons hot sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 3/4 teaspoon onion powder, and a pinch of kosher salt) into a food processor fitted with a blade. Process until smooth, then transfer to a bowl and stir in the reserved pickles. Makes 1 cup.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (thawed). Stir until the sugar dissolves, about 2–3 minutes. Add the remaining sauce ingredients (3/4 cup ketchup, 2 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder). Reduce heat to medium-low.

Simmer the cranberry sauce for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon canola oil. Add 4 seeded and chopped jalapeños and sauté until softened, about 4–6 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup store-bought red pepper jelly, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook until the jelly is fully melted. Remove from heat and let cool.

Place 6 ounces of room-temperature cream cheese in a serving dish. Spoon the cooled jalapeño mixture over the top. Makes about 1 cup.