APPLE CINNAMON CRESCENT ROLLS * sugar or sugar-free
2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls (can be low-fat) or crescent dough sheet
1 medium-large apples, cored & diced (softer, baking apples are best. You could also substitute ripe pears or peaches) * NOTE: I left the peel on, but you need to dice these as small as possible, so that they completely bake until soft.
8 TB (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted (divided use)
6 TB brown sugar (or 1-1/2 TB brown Splenda)
6 TB granulated sugar (or 3 TB regular white Splenda)
About 2 tsp. cinnamon
Fruit Fresh (by the canning supplies ~ this keeps the apples from turning color AND will keep them fresher so you don't have to refrigerate the cinnamon rolls)
Easy GLAZE:
About 1/4 cup canned vanilla frosting (can be sugar-free)
about 2 TB flavored liquid coffee creamer (can be sugar-free or fat-free) ~ Italian Sweet Cream, French Vanilla, Crème Brulee, Cinnamon are all good ** Whisk together until smooth consistency
***
Preheat oven to 350. Generously spray an 8” or 9” pie pan with buttery non-stick cooking spray and set aside. *** (1) Put the diced apples with about 1 TB Fruit Fresh in a non-metal bowl with enough water to cover the apples, and set aside ** (2) Whisk together the cinnamon and sugars/Splendas, and set aside. **
On a large piece of wax paper or silpat max, unroll crescent dough. If using crescent rolls, push all the seams together so that you have 1 big rectangle. Brush the dough with about 4 TB of the butter (save the rest for later).
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of the butter. Drain the apples and scatter them all over the dough. Roll up the dough (so that you have a long log), using the wax paper (or silpat mat) to help you roll it (if it breaks a little, don’t worry). Then cut the log into 6 big pieces. Put the slices on their sides into the sprayed pie pan and flatten them a little (they should be touching and filling the pan). Brush the rest of the butter on the tops of the rolls.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the rolls are light golden brown all over. Take them out and cover them completely with the glaze. (Scoop the glaze up as it pools in the bottom of the pie pan ~ you want to get all the edges of the rolls so they don’t taste like a dinner roll.) Serve warm (or reheat in the microwave for about 15 seconds)