This Quick And Cozy Fall Pastry Uses Canned Crescent Dough And Apples

When summer winds down and fall begins, it's time for warming desserts, cozy coffees, and pumpkin-spiced everything. It's also the start of apple season, which means using the best of the season's produce to make delicious pastries. There will be time enough for apple pies, fritters, and sugared donuts; if you want an autumnal pastry right now, all you really need is canned crescent dough.

Apple crescent rolls, like the ones Toni Okamoto shared on YouTube, are a delicious cross between a croissant, a hand pie, and a turnover, with a fraction of the work. They're sweet, gooey, and lightly spiced, and the softness of the apples is perfectly balanced with the chewiness of the roll. If you've ever had apple dumplings made with crescent rolls, the idea is similar, just with the sugar mixture on the inside rather than poured on top.

All you need to do is chop up some apples and mix some brown sugar with your favorite fall spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. You can also try adding some cardamom, ground ginger, or cloves. Pumpkin pie spice would work beautifully, as would allspice. You could even get creative and try using some herbs like rosemary or marjoram. Just take some inspiration from the best apple dessert recipes, and pick your poison.

As for the apples, any type works as long as they aren't overly soft, like Gala apples. Okamoto goes for crunchy selections like Cosmic Crisp or Honeycrisp, while others prefer green apples like Granny Smiths.

Once everything is ready, divide the crescent roll dough and lay the triangles out on a baking sheet. Coat with melted butter, sprinkle with the spiced sugar, pressing it in with your fingertips to make sure it sticks, and then lay some apple in the middle of each. Roll them up like a croissant and bake until golden brown. About 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit should do.

You can serve the rolls as is or add toppings. Streusel would be delicious, as would powdered sugar, icing, salted caramel sauce, and chopped nuts. It's all up to you. You can even change up the interiors if you want. Add chocolate to the mix for those with an extra sweet tooth, or swap out the apples for other fruits like peaches or pears. You can use apple pie filling if you want to cut even more of the work out, and if you don't have canned crescent rolls, puff pastry will work too. Just make sure to eat the rolls warm, preferably with a big scoop of ice cream if you have it.