Apple Croissants

I'm a big fan of hearty breakfasts, so I'm always on the lookout for creative new recipes so we're not eating the same old thing all the time. Well the other day I stumbled upon a brilliant idea on Pinterest (where else), where they took apple slices and rolled them up in crescent roll dough. What a cute idea! But of course, since I am a control freak and like to make everything from scratch, I had to put my own spin on it.

I made my own dough for this recipe. It is a yeast dough, but like my Overnight Cinnamon Rolls, it can be made the night before so that you can just pop them in the oven the next morning. I also left the skins on the apples because that's where the nutrients are! But if the skin bothers you, obviously you can peel the apples.

To assemble the croissants, begin by rolling the dough into a rectangle of about 1/4-inch thickness.

Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough into 8 long triangles. Brush the surface of each triangle with melted butter.

Place the apple filling on the fat end of each triangle.

Roll the triangles up, starting at the fat end, and place on a baking sheet. Be sure to pinch the triangles closed so no filling escapes!

Apple Croissants
Dough 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water 1 tbsp granulated yeast 1 1/2 tsp salt 2 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour, sifted Filling 2 large red delicious apples 3 tbsp raw sugar 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tbsp butter, melted	Icing 1 cup powdered sugar 2 tbsp milk 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions 1. Mix the water, yeast, and salt with a whisk in a large bowl. Sift the flour, then add to yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until double in size (about 2-5 hours, depending on the temperature of the room). Punch down dough, then allow to rise until double in size again. 2. For filling, dice apples into small chunks. In a small bowl, mix apples, spice and sugar. 3. Roll out dough and cut into 8 long triangles. Brush the surface with melted butter. Spoon a heaping spoonful of the apple mixture onto the wide end of the triangles. Roll dough into a roll starting with the widest edge of the dough and space evenly on a baking sheet. Refrigerate overnight, if desired. 4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Allow croissants to come to room temperature on the counter (if they were not previously refrigerated, then allow to rest for 30 minutes after assembling before baking). Bake 25 – 30 minutes until golden brown. 5. In a small bowl combine powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Drizzle over warm croissants.
Yield: 8 croissants	Calories per serving: 270 per croissant