CARAMEL APPLE PUFF DUMPLING

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry.
• 4 medium cooking apples [Golden Delicious or Jonathan.]
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar or 4tablespoons Splenda brown sugar blend.
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or 2tablespoons margarine.
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
• 1 egg, lightly beaten.
• 1 teaspoon water.
• 1 teaspoon sugar or 1teaspoon Splenda sugar substitute.
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice, for apples in case they start to turn brown.
Sauce:
• 1/2 cup prepared caramel ice cream topping.
• 1/3 cup toasted chopped pecan halves.
• Cool Whip [optional.]
• vanilla ice cream [optional.]

INSTRUCTIONS:

-Preheat oven to 400°F.
-Thaw and unfold puff pastry.
-On lightly floured surface, roll the pastry into a 16″sqaure.
-Cut with a knife into 4 equal pieces.
-Peel and core apples.
-Trim the bottoms so the apples sit flat.
-Place 1 apple in the center of each square.
-Use 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice if apples start to trun brown.
-Mix together the brown sugar or brown-sugar splenda, butter or margarine and cinnamon.
-Spoon into apples.
-Beat the egg and water together in a small bowl.
-Moisten the edge of the pastry with the mixture.
-Bring the pastry up around the apple, pleating the pastry as needed to form a seal.
-Place the dumplings in an ungreased 9×13 inch baking dish.
-Brush them with remaining egg mixture, sprinkle with granulated sugar or splenda.
-Bake for 35minutes until golden brown.
-When ready to serve; heat the caramel sauce and the toasted pecans.
-Place a warm dumpling on a serving plate and drizzle the sauce over the top.
-Garnish with cool-whip or vanilla ice cream, if desired.