pear walnut crescents

at some point in the past, i was discussing nutella bombs with my sister (crescent rolls with nutella baked inside), and we started brainstorming other worthwhile additions to crescent rolls.  these things aren't limited to just hot dogs, you know!

at any rate, one potential recipe we both thought sounded interesting was pears and honey.  over time, i refined what i thought should be used...and i finally got around to implementing the recipe.

total prep/cook time for this is about 30 minutes.

ingredients:

- 1 can crescent rolls (8 count)

- 1 pear (i used d'angou)

- walnuts

- honey

- butter

- cinnamon

preparation:

coarsely chop a handful of walnuts and one-quarter of a pear, and mix in a small bowl.  immediately eat the rest of the pear (this step is very important).

in  a separate bowl, melt a couple tablespoons of butter in the microwave.  stir in a little honey and cinnamon and reheat a tad just to loosen it all up.  pour honey-butter mixture over the nuts and fruit and stir to coat.

unfold the crescent rolls, spoon on a little fruit/nut mixture, and wrap up the crescents.  drizzle a little extra honey-butter on top.  place on a cookie sheet and bake at 375°F for approximately 12 minutes (or until golden brown).

verdict:
this was a neat experiment, and i rather enjoyed the results.  however, there were a few points that i recognized as being problem.  first, the pear wasn't quite ripe enough.  i tend to prefer crunchy pears for eating, but in this case, i think a little riper/softer/juicier would have improved the overall flavor of the stuffed crescent roll.

second, i don't think i used enough honey.  i added a good dollop to the butter, but it really didn't go far enough in terms of sweetness.  i don't mind savory by any means, but i had expected this to be more like a sweet dessert.  so next time, i need to have a little more honey in the butter...and brush the top of the crescents with it before baking (instead of just spooning a little on top).

finally, i will provide a caution: a quarter of a pear and a handful of walnuts goes a loooong way.  these crescent rolls are pretty small, and you can't really fit a whole lot in them.  i ended up eating the last few spoons of pear/walnut mixture because they didn't fit in the rolls.

addendum:
i think the crescents work even better the next day.  i refrigerated them and popped one in the toaster oven this morning, and it was wonderful.  the flavors melded a little overnight, and i took the crescent out of the toaster when the outside was nice and warm -- but when the pear bits were still a little chilled.  that juxtaposition was rather pleasant.