The Painted Apron

These little sweet & savory bites are so perfect for any occasion this Fall season!  Breakfast, Brunch, luncheon, dinner, dessert…I made them to serve with late afternoon cocktails…they are light, not too sweet, delicious and small enough not to be sinful!  These rolls would make a great hostess gift, or an addition to a pot luck supper, a Thanksgiving treat for a neighbor…or just a little surprise for your family!

The best part about these spiral bites of nutty pumpkin is that they are super quick to make!

These are the ingredients I started out with.  I was basically planning to make a recipe on my Bucket list this month, Pumpkin Croissants.
After studying the recipe I decided I wanted to change it.  The recipe I had called for canned pumpkin, and I bought pumpkin pie mix.  It also rolled the crescent roll dough the traditional way and rolled them in sugar.  I axed all that and went my own way.  Just ignore the Confectioners Sugar and the Cinnamon sprinkles because I didn’t use them.

Carefully open the crescent roll can and try to remove it without separating the pieces. Roll out the dough into 1 large rectangle and pinch the preforations to seal if necessary.  Spread evenly with a thin layer of cream cheese.

Sprinkle sugar lightly over cream cheese.  I used white granulated sugar but next time I will use brown sugar,I  just didn’t think of it until later.

Then spread a thin layer of Pumpkin Pie Filling over dough.  Since I knew I was going to roll this up, I purposely restrained myself, I was tempted to really pile it on!

Slowly begin rolling the dough trying to keep the seams from separating and keeping the roll even.

You will end up with a big gooey seam on top.  This is where I wished I had done this on a pan so I could put in it the fridge to chill. Hmm…

I got out my handy dandy silpat [baking mat] and just eased the roll onto it.  You could use a towel, wax paper or foil here- then I gently placed the rolled dough into the freezer for a few minutes to make it easier to handle.

After about 10 minutes in freezer [or cover roll and put it in the refrigerator for several hours] Slice the log into 16 pieces.

Begin at the center and cut in half.  Then cut the halves into 1/4s and then cut the 1/4s in half again and you will have 16 even spiral slices.

Place the slices in a greased glass pie pan, cut side down

Sprinkle with chopped walnuts

then sprinkle lightly with brown sugar

Cut 2 Tablespoons of butter into 16 pieces and place one piece on top of each roll

This might seem a little decadent but it is 1/8 of a Tablespoon of butter per roll and it imparts such a smooth flavor finish

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes, checking near the end for doneness.  They need to get pretty brown to insure the insides get cooked

Let cool completely before separating.

I made these for some friends that were stopping by for cocktails and I wanted to make sure I gave them a trick or treat jar to take home [see Oct 7, 2012]

with some witchy wine glasses, everything is set!

These rolls will be the perfect compliment to our Pumpkin Pie Martinis! [see Oct 3, 2012]

Here’s the recipe:

It started out on my Paint Bucket List as Pumpkin Pie Croissants

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Here’s what it turned into

This recipe would make a great GIFT FROM THE KITCHEN!

I’m joining the Tablescaper for SEASONAL SUNDAY
Between Naps on the Porch for METAMORPHIS MONDAY
Stone Gable for ON THE MENU MONDAY
Between Naps on the Porch for TABLESCAPE THURSDAY
Rattlebridge Farms for FOODIE FRIDAY