Unbelievably delicious and tasty apple dumplings

Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

 My evil twin will try anything once. Krispy Kreme donuts topped with whipped cream and bacon bits, and now apple dumplings made with a can of soda as the sauce. This recipe comes by way of my friend Julie,  who served up this unbelievably delicious panful of apple dumplings and revealed that the secret was a can of Mountain Dew in the sauce. When it came time to make it at home, I discovered the joys of popping the tab on the soda and popping the seam on a tube of crescent dough. It's kind of fun to work with ingredients that snap, sizzle and pop.

Here's a breakdown for the Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings recipe:

1. Begin with Apples, the All-American fruit filled with fiber and nutrition.

2. Wrap them in crescent roll pastry from a tube.

3. Cover with melted butter and sugar.

4. Finish off with a can of flavored soda.

My husband, by the way, proclaimed this one of the best dishes I've ever made.

Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books



Mountain Dew Apple Dumplings

Adapted from the Pioneer Woman Cooks!

1 good-size baking apple, such as Golden Delicious or Granny Smith

1 package ( 8 oz.) crescent rolls

1 stick butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 can (12 oz.) Mountain Dew (you'll need one half of the can)

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a small saucepan, melt butter, then stir in sugar and vanilla. Set aside to cool.

2. Meanwhile, peel and core apple. Cut the apple into 8 equal slices and wrap each in a crescent triangle. (I'm assuming that I do not need to go into the play-play on popping open the tube, removing the dough and separating the pieces. Follow instructions on the can or here, if you need help.). Place each bundle of love into a pan coated with baking spray.

3. Pour butter and sugar mixture over the apples. Pop open the Dew and pour gently around the edges of the pan. You will only need half the can - the rest is the cook's treat. Bottoms up. Sprinkle the dumplings with a bit of cinnamon then put in the 350 oven for 40 minutes. Serve warm.

This recipe is part of A Cook and Her Books' month of apple recipes. Look for other favorite recipes:


Apple Dumplings, classic

My State-Fair Ribbon-winning Apple pie

Apple tart

Apple crisp

Plus photos from Blue Ridge and Mercier's Orchard, in the heart of Georgia apple country.

Three A Cook and Her Books recipes that use apples:

Morning Glory Muffins
Mulligatawny
Kid-friendly sushi



Text and images copyright 2011, Lucy Mercer.