When it comes to low-effort, high-impact holiday dishes, turn to the Poppin’ Fresh school of cooking — that is, treats made out of refrigerated dough that comes in a tube.
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When it comes to low-effort, high-impact holiday dishes, I like to turn to the Poppin’ Fresh school of cooking — that is, treats made out of refrigerated dough that comes in a tube.
These cute, creative treats would be far more complex if you tried to make the dough from scratch. Using prepared dough, they are easy and inexpensive, and kids can help, which is nice during holidays.
(I also am proud of the fact that I have overcome my fear of popping those tubes, which used to scare me with their explosive tendencies.)
So when casting about for an Easter idea I looked at pictures online to find something striking from this genre of baking. I came up with crescent-dough carrots. Because Easter equals bunnies equals carrots.
While I don’t get credit for the concept, which I first found on the Pillsbury website, I did come up with my own streamlined method of production, which I’m presenting at right as a photo how-to, rather than a traditional recipe.
Once you’ve baked up your carrots, stuff them with anything that goes with a slightly sweet bun: tuna or egg salad, scrambled eggs, a cheese filling or something sweet, like a mousse. You’ll have time to think about that, because the carrots are so easy.
1. Roll a 12-by-4-inch strip of foil into a log. Pinch one end slightly to make a cone. Make 8 of these; they will be the molds for your carrots.
2. Open an 8-ounce tube of crescent roll dough, unroll the dough and separate it along the perforated lines. You’ll have 8 triangles.
3. On a work surface dusted with flour, roll each triangle into a “noodle.” Roll from the thickest part and the dough will lengthen to at least 12 inches.
4. Wrap 1 “noodle” around a foil cone, starting at the tip and pulling gently as you go to make uniform coils. Pinch dough together around the tip. Repeat to make 8 carrots.
5. Brush with orange food coloring mixed with water. Bake at 400 degrees 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Remove foil. Stuff carrots with desired filling. Add green onion slices to make carrot tops.
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