Big Mama always had a large supply of dried apples on hand for recipes like this one. It was a family favorite because these simple flavors could be served with almost anything. When researching this particular dish with the family, very different memories surfaced regarding the crust. Some remembered the apple rolls having a very puffy dough crust, while some remembered it being thin and flaky. After pondering this conundrum, I concluded that Big Mama made this recipe to use up leftover dough; the crust would vary depending on whether she had been making biscuits, pie shells, or rolls. This is only a hypothesis, but I encourage you to try all three types of dough for these delicious apple rolls!

　　

Ingredients

serves 8

　　4 cups dried apples (page 179)

　　3 3/4 cups water

　　1/2 cup sugar

　　

Apple Roll Dough

3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

　　1 1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening

　　10 tablespoons cold water, or more as needed

　　

Vanilla Sauce

3 cups milk

　　2 eggs

　　1/2 cup sugar

　　2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

　　1/4 teaspoon salt

　　1 tablespoon butter

　　1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

　　1 egg beaten

　　

Step 1

Place the dried apples and the water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium, and simmer for 1 hour. Stir occasionally for the first 45 minutes, then continuously for the last 15 minutes. When the water has evaporated and the apples are softened, add the sugar and stir vigorously, breaking the apple pieces into a chunky paste. Cook for an additional 5 minutes and set aside.

　　

Step 2

To make the dough, sift the flour into a medium mixing bowl. Add the salt and shortening and use a pastry blender or 2 knives to cut the shortening into the flour until it resembles small peas. Add approximately 10 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well with a small portion of the flour-shortening mixture. When the entire mixture is slightly moist and doughy, separate the dough into 2 equal balls. On a lightly floured work surface, roll each ball into an 8 x 12-inch rectangle, 1/8 inch thick.

　　

Step 3

Spread 1 1/2 cups of the apple mixture evenly onto each rectangle, leaving 1 1/2 inches of the edges uncovered. Fold the long sides of the pastry toward the center of the filling and loosely lap the edges together to form a log. Fold the two ends of the pastry and pinch them to close.

　　

Step 4

Place each apple roll onto a greased cookie sheet. Brush the top of each roll lightly with the beaten egg. Bake at 400°F for 35 minutes, or until the crust turns golden brown.

　　

Step 5

While the apple rolls are baking, begin making the vanilla sauce. Heat 2 1/2 cups of the milk to a very warm temperature in a medium-large saucepan. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and add the remaining 1/2 cup of milk. Pour the warm milk into the egg-milk mixture and stir together. Pour back into the saucepan, and heat over medium-low heat. In a separate bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, and salt. Add to the warm milk-egg mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for 40 minutes, or until the mixture thickens. Add the butter and vanilla, reduce the heat to low, and keep warm until ready to use.

　　

Step 6

When the apple rolls have cooled, cut into 3-inch portions and serve topped with a ladle of vanilla sauce.

　　

Cooking Method

Step 7

Oven

　　Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book by Chris Lilly. Copyright © 2009 by Chris Lilly. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Vice president, executive chef, and partner of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, Chris Lilly oversees the two company-owned restaurants as well as their new chain of franchises.