Apple Dumplings (Crescent Roll)

There are a lot of people posting recipes for apple dumplings made with crescent rolls.  And there are a lot of people complaining that they taste like chemicals, or they're too soggy, or there's too many, or it's too fattening... well, if you think a recipe full of butter and sugar is too fattening, you are right... so don't make it.

I experimented a little, and came up with these.  They don't use nearly as much liquid so they're not soggy, you don't have to use a can of Mtn Dew or whatever, and they're good.


1 large tart apple (Granny Smith is good)
1 can (8 ounces) Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
ground cinnamon
4-6 fluid ounces fruity liquid*

Heat oven to 350 (F)

Butter a shallow baking dish, 11 x 7 or 9-inch square, or something similar.

Peel, core, and slice the apple into 8 slices  (you really don't have to peel it unless peelings gross you out).

Unroll the crescent roll dough and separate into triangles.  Place a slice of apple on the big end  of a dough triangle, and roll up.

Place the rolled up apples into the dish, without crowding, they puff up a little.

Melt the butter and stir in the sugar and vanilla.

Spoon butter-sugar mixture over the dumplings.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Pour the juice around the dumplings to about 1/2 inch depth.

Bake 35-40 minutes.

Serve warm.  Whipped cream recommended!

You can use almost anything that is sweet and fruity.  Lemonade, apple juice, orange juice, grapefruit soda, 7-Up...  The amount you need varies according to the size of your pan.  Keep it about 1/2 inch deep and the bottoms of the dumplings will be soft and gooey and the tops will be crispy and sweet.

MAKE IT FOR TWO!

This works if you cut the recipe in half!  Crescent rolls come in a can of 4, or you can take a can of 8 and have 4 for dinner.

Use a half an apple, 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla.

Baking time is the same!  I used a 1 quart, shallow baking dish.   A cake pan would work, or a pie pan.  They're very sweet, so two is a generous serving.   

You can see that I didn't peel the apple...