Okay, even though I love to make things like
butter [1] and
ricotta cheese [2] and
bread [3] from scratch, never let it be said that there isn’t a time and place in my life for things like pre-made crescent roll dough. Yep, the kind in the tube that you get to pop open. Because crescent roll dough can lead to things like perfect little individual apple pies that you can hold in your hand, and possibly even eat two of since they are so small and delicious and impossible to resist.
This perfect-for-apple-picking-season treat could not be any easier. First, pick a couple of apples. Or do as I do and have your personal apple picker pick them for you.
Peel and core and dice them up into little squares and then saute them in a little butter and cinnamon and brown sugar until they are nice and soft. Now pop that crescent roll tube open (and side note: why did they stop letting us whack it on the side of the counter to open it? Remember that? Now we are supposed to press a spoon to the seam to open it, and I’m sorry but that is nowhere NEARLY as satisfying).
Separate the crescent roll dough into little triangles and pop a spoonful of apple mixture at the wide end. Roll it up carefully, making sure that none of the apple filling is peeking out, and press the sides to seal it up. Now put the little apple pies on a baking sheet lined with foil and cook them until they are just golden brown, about 10 minutes or so.
This next part is the hardest…let them cool a little bit on a wire rack. Your kitchen is going to smell like apple pie while you are waiting, and I’m here to tell you that’s not going to make the waiting any easier. Once they are cool enough to handle, shake some confectioner’s sugar on top (I like to do this by putting the sugar in a fine mesh strainer and tapping the side of it – works perfectly as a sugar shaker!) and then those little apple pies are all yours! Or you can share. Or not. I leave that part up to you!
Ingredients
2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional
One 8 ounce containers of crescent roll dough (I used Pillsbury)
Confectioner's sugar for garnish
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375. Line a cookie sheet with foil.
2. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add apples, sugar, cinnamon and nuts (if using) and saute for about 5 minutes or until apples start to soften. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. Open the container of dough and carefully separate the perforated triangles - you will have 8 triangles. Spoon a generous tablespoon of apple mixture onto the wide end of each triangle. Carefully roll up the triangle so that the pointed end wraps around the outside, making sure the apple mixture doesn't spill out the sides. Press the sides of the mini pie gently to seal it.
4. Transfer the pies to the prepared cookie sheet and bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, cool for about 10 minutes, sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and serve warm!
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