As March continues on, the weather is still pretty frigid in my neck of the woods and that means warm and toasty breakfasts and brunches are my go-to weekend options. And sometimes we want a bit of treat, so why not put together a super simple batch of caramel apple dumplings?
Because I like a sauce with a bit more than cinnamon, I add nutmeg and cardamom and use ginger beer as my carbonated beverage of choice. If you wish, you can skip the extra spices and use lemon-lime soda instead. But if you like the flavors in a good apple pie, make it just as indicated below!
I like to serve 3-4 dumplings per person, though subtracting one per person to allow for a couple sausage links or slices of bacon is also acceptable. And because most of the time involved in making this dish is in baking and letting it rest, there's lots of time to brew some coffee, read the paper, or just relax a bit before the day gets busy.
Easy Caramel Apple Dumplings
- 2 medium firm apples (I used Golden Delicious apples)
- 2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent rolls
- ¾ c. butter, melted
- 1 c. packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp. ground cardamom
- Most of a can of ginger beer
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray; set aside.
Peel and core the apples; cut into 16 even slices.
Unroll the crescent dough; separate it into 16 triangles. Place 1 apple slice on the longest side of each dough triangle. Starting with the longest side of the triangle, roll to the opposite point, wrapping the dough around the apple slice; arrange in the prepared pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Pour the mixture evenly over the dumplings.
Carefully pour the ginger beer in the center and along the edges of the pan. (Do not pour any directly on top of the dumplings.)
Bake the dumplings in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Allow them to stand for 15 minutes before serving them.
- Yields: 4-5 servings
- Preparation Time: 1 hour