All things beautiful: Apple and Cream Cheese Dessert

Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Apple and Cream Cheese Dessert

Using fresh apples? Just core, peel and slice and stew them down with a bit of butter for about 15-20 minutes until softened.

What you'll need. One package of crescent rolls, 1/2 of an 8-ounce package of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, one can of apple pie filling, 1/2 stick of butter, melted, and a mixture of cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling on top.

Open the crescent roll package, unroll and divide in half, pinching the seams lightly together. Place into a 8 x 8 inch baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray. Please note that I am using a glass Pyrex baking dish, that I believe gives a better result. Do not reduce the oven temperature!

Mix the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract together and place on top of the crescent rolls.

Spread the cream cheese evenly all across the top.

Layer the apples on top of the cream cheese layer. Be sure to check your pie filling to see if it is regular, sugar free, or low sugar to see if you may want to add additional sweetener.

Add the other half of the crescent rolls on top of the apples.

Pour the melted butter all over the top of that.

And sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until golden brown.

Check this one out!

Cherry Cream Cheese Dessert - made with cherry pie filling and a nice sprinkle of granulated sugar on top instead of the cinnamon sugar.

Recipe: Apple and Cream Cheese Dessert
©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Prep time: 10 min |Cook time: 30 min | Yield: About 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
4 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 package of crescent rolls
1 can of apple pie filling
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of unsalted butter, melted
Mixture of cinnamon and sugar*
Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8" x 8" glass baking pan with non-stick spray and set aside. Hand whip the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract together until well blended.

Unroll the package of crescent rolls and cut into even halves. Pinch together the seams and place one of the halves into the bottom of the baking pan. Spread the cream cheese evenly on top of the dough and top that with the apple pie filling. If you are using a low sugar or sugar free apple pie filling, you'll probably want to add some sugar or brown sugar to the apples. Top with the other half of the dough and pour the melted butter all over. Sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until golden brown. Let cool long enough to set the filling before cutting.

Cook's Notes: Please note that I am using a glass Pyrex baking dish at 350 degrees F. Using fresh apples? Just core, peel and slice and stew them down with a bit of butter for about 15-20 minutes until softened. Let cool slightly before assembling the dessert. This also makes a perfectly delicious easy cream cheese danish when made without the fruit.

Tip: Several of our readers have made this in the 8 x 8 inch baking pan, but doubling the cream cheese and pill filling with great success. Thanks Ann!

Variations: Experiment with other pie fillings - cherry and blueberry are good substitutes with a plain sprinkling on top of regular granulated sugar instead of the cinnamon sugar. Try this with fresh peaches too! Mary from our Facebook page uses a cooked filling of 2 cups peaches, 1/2 cup sugar, a tablespoon cornstarch, rather than a can of pie filling. Thanks Mary! Double recipe for an oblong pan.

How to make Cinnamon Sugar: Combine 1/2 cup of sugar with 1 heaping tablespoon of cinnamon. Place into an old cleaned spice jar with a shaker top and shake well.