Flower Hot-Dog Buns

12 flowers

Photo credit: https://thewoksoflife.com/flower-hot-dog-buns/

Ingredients

12 hot-dogs Lesters

2 tins hot-dog dough (Pillsbury or other)

1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp milk

1 Tbsp sugar, dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water (simple syrup)

2 scalions (greens only) finlely sliced diagonaly

Black and white sesame seed for garnish

Dipping sauce ingredients:

1/4 cup soy sauce

¼ tsp crushed chili peppers

2 Tbsp honey

Flour your work surface to prevent the dough from sticking, roll each piece of dough into an oval about 4 inches wide and the same length as your hot dogs.
Place the hot dog on one end of the dough and roll it tightly into the dough. Using a scraper or metal knife, cut 6 crosswise slits in the dough/hot dog (creating 7 equal sections), without cutting all the way through.
Arrange the hot dogs cut-side up, in the shape of a flower.
Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
Add the shallots to to the egg mixture (submerging the shallots in this way ensures that they adhere to the buns). Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the buns with egg (brush only the dough, not the hot dog pieces). Be sure to spread the shallots evenly over the buns. Use the brush to gently spread any traces of egg into the crevices of the buns. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for 12-14 minutes (or until the dough is cooked and golden-brown).
Remove from the oven and immediately brush the buns with the simple syrup. This final step gives the buns their characteristic Chinese pastry glow.