Challenge accepted! (Apple Dumpling Edition)

In a group we are both in, Lora, a camping friend of ours, posted the following:

“I know someone said something about apple something…. Now I can’t find the post. Anyway here is my favorite apple recipe, maybe Uncle Mike can figure out how to do it in a Dutch oven. It is soo good!”

What followed was a link to Genius Kitchen’s recipe for Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings.

The instructions there are simple and the results delicious.

The challenge was adapting this to a Dutch Oven and from the looks of the recipe and accompanying comments, it would be worth the effort.

So, challenge accepted!

Here’s our take on it:

The recipe is pretty simple… Crescent Rolls, Apples, Sugar, Butter, and Cinnamon. What’s missing is the Mountain Dew – We didn’t have any but found a Sprite.

Since we are cooking outside, we set up the kitchen at a local outdoor pavilion. To simplify the outdoor baking, we did some prep indoors. We sliced and peeled the apples and mixed the sugar and cinnamon. The Apples, once sliced, were bagged with a squeeze of lemon to keep from browning. Sugar and Cinnamon were measured and ready to go and the missing soft drink was found.

The most complicated part is cutting and peeling the apples. After that it’s roll a slice in a Crescent section…

The slices were on the large side but the dough covered it with some pinching done on the ends.

While the coals were heating and the apples were being rolled up, we started melting the butter. As the butter melted, the sugar and cinnamon is added and heated until all is melted together. This is also a great time to either grease the pan, spray it with Pam, or use parchment paper. We prefer paper as it made it easier when it was serving time.

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We added the dumplings to the lined Dutch oven and then spread the sugar mixture over the dumplings.

We missed the drink pouring shot, sorry. Once the apples are rolled in the dough and the buttery cinnamon/sugar glaze is applied, it’s time to do the Dew. We used Sprite from a 16oz bottle and ball parked the amount but the recipe calls for 1-12oz can. Just pour it on top and all around, put on the oven lid, and add coals.

45 minutes later at about 350* we’re ready to cool and then serve.

Serving on an inverted lid was a snap with the parchment paper allowing everything to be lifted right out of the pot. Clean up was even easier as all the stickiness stayed on the paper and not in the pot.

Tasting is all that’s left to do. This one is a winner.

Be careful, this is a tongue burn looking for a place to happen. Patience in cooling is rewarded in working taste buds that will savor the flavor. Served warm with whipped cream, a topping, or maybe vanilla ice cream would be really good too.

Apple Dumplings

Ingredients:

2 (8 count) cans crescent rolls

2 large or 3-4 smaller tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 16 pieces.

1 1⁄2 C  sugar

1⁄2 C  butter

1 t  cinnamon

1 (12 ounce) can Sprite, Mt Dew, or any “un-cola”

Directions:

Line a #12 dutch oven with parchment paper

Peel and slice apples into 16 piece

Roll each apple slice in 1 section of crescent roll and place in pot

Melt butter, add sugar and cinnamon – stir until mixed then pour over apples

Top off everything by pouring in a can of Sprite

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

A few more notes:

The actual number of apples depends on how big a slice you want to use and the size of the apples.

For a bit less sweetness, some folks use only 1C of sugar, others switch out the sugar for 1/2C of honey

For extra richness, some go with 2 sticks of butter

For a pastry more suitable for using your fingers to eat than a fork, use only 1C of drink

Cooking inside in an unsealed container, the liquids evaporate a bit and the resulting dumplings can be picked up like sweet rolls or a danish. In the Dutch Oven, with a sealed lid, the moisture stays in and these are truly a dumpling with a softer consistency that melts in your mouth.