Here are some words for you ... melted butter ... sugar ... cinnamon ... crescent rolls ... ice cream. How does that sound? It should sound like heaven if your mouth because it is. After I went apple picking and bought my apples I realized that now I had to do something with all these apples. Don't get me wrong, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but if the doctor is cute, then screw the fruit!
I kid. Sort of.
Anyways, a while back in the Twitter world someone mentioned that I should make Apple Dumplings. At the time I had no idea they would be so delicious, but boy do I wish I had made these sooner.
This might be the easiest recipe you will make besides a boxed brownie mix.
Here are the main ingredients for this delicious apple recipe.
I did leave one out by accident, but we will add that in a little bit.
Betsy, my kitchen cow snuck into the picture. Silly little cow.
Take two apples.
Captain obvious with this picture, huh?
And remove their out-beings.
They're naked!
Now, really get personal with your apple and remove its core.
This should make 8 wedges. The exact number you need from one apple.
So if you do the math, and you have two apples and need eight wedges from each apple, then you will end up with 16 wedges!
Now it's time to make friends with your butter.
Mmhmm.
2 sticks of butter into a saucepan.
Melt those butter sticks down until it looks like a pool of richness.
Once the butter is melted, add your sugar.
Then if you have a sugar, go give him/her some sugar.
In my case, I turned the music up louder and did a dance around the kitchen.
While you are keeping a CAREFUL eye on your butter/sugar, you can get to roll up your apples in your crescent rolls. Remember to place the apple on the smallest part of the triangle and then roll to the largest side. (Yes, there are words for these things, but what fun is that?)
Somehow in my hurry, I forgot to take a picture of the crescent rolls - but I'm sure you know what they look like. Long triangles. I've always loved opening up the crescent roll container. I like the pop it makes when it opens.
Back to the recipe.
Look! It's a dumplin'!
That's what you have when you roll small to big.
A sweet, raw apple dumplin'.
Now, because you've continued to stir your butter/sugar mixture without burning it, it's time to add the cinnamon. This is when your kitchen will smell like a delicious treat.
Then, after you stir in your cinnamon, you add another ingredient.
(Sadly, I forgot to take a picture.)
Vanilla!
Once you remove the butter/sugar mixture and mix in your cinnamon, then you will add some vanilla and mix it well.
After you spray your baking dish with cooking spray, or butter, you will place your 16 dumplings in the 9x16 baking pan.
Your mixture is all ready to go.
Then you just pour the sugar/butter/cinnamon/vanilla mixture all over the apple dumplings.
Pop that Mountain Dew and also pour it all over the dumplings.
This feels weird to do, but it's right. So, so right.
Into a pre-heated 350 degrees oven they go for about 35-40 minutes.
I baked mine for exactly 35 min and then removed the pan from the oven and they were still 'cooking' in their juices.
Then you get an apple dumpling (or two) on a plate with some ice cream on the side. What more does anyone need in life? I know! The recipe.
Southern Apple Dumplings Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
- 2 (8 each) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough
- 2 sticks of butter
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 can of Mountain Dew
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
- Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
- Peal and core 2 apples into 8 wedges.
- Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles.
- Begin by rolling each apple piece in the crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end towards the largest end.
- Pinch the sides of the crescent roll to seal in a dumpling shape and place in the dish.
- Melt two sticks of butter in a small saucepan.
- Stir in the sugar until dissolved then add the cinnamon. Once combined, add the vanilla extract.
- Pour the sweet mixture over the apple dumplings.
- Next, open the Mountain Dew and pour over the dumplings.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the top has browned.
- Serve with ice cream and enjoy!