1. Mold it: Pillsbury Crescent Bread Bowl
Stretch dough into buttered bowl, muffin tin or ramekin. Bake at 375 degrees for five minutes. Remove from oven and use a fork to pat down sides and bottom. Return to oven and bake until golden for six minutes. Run knife around edges and turn onto plate when cool enough to handle. Fill with your favorite soup, chowder or chili and tell Panera to suck it.
2. Press it: Pillsbury Crescent Quiche Lorraine
Press dough to cover two 4.5–inch buttered tart pans. Prick all over (Ed. note: heh) with a fork and freeze until firm for about 10 minutes. Cover pans with foil and fill with pie weights, dried beans or pennies. Bake at 350 degrees for five minutes. Uncover pans and bake until golden, and dry for about six more minutes. Cool crusts completely. In the meantime, cut four slices of bacon into one–half inch pieces and fry until crisp. Then mix one large egg, two–thirds cup of heavy cream, one–eighth teaspoon of salt and a couple grinds of fresh black pepper into a medium bowl. Divide bacon between crusts and spoon filling over until pans are almost full. Bake at 350 until set, or about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Serve with a fresh herb garnish if you’re feeling fancy.
3. Fold it: Pillsbury Crescent Apricot Turnovers
Unroll four dough triangles onto a parchment–lined baking sheet. Fill two triangles with about one tablespoon of apricot preserves, leaving a one–quarter inch border. Brush border with milk and place triangles on top, crimping edges with a fork. Bake at 375 until golden for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack lined with more parchment and prepare the toppings while they cool. Combine one–half cup of powdered sugar and one–half tablespoon of milk in a bowl and mix until smooth. Mince six dried apricots and set aside. Coat turnovers with glaze and top with apricot pieces immediately. Beats toaster strudel by a mile.
4. Punch a hole in it: Pillsbury Crescent Chocolate Donuts
Tear a dough cylinder in half and stand each vertically. Press tops down with your palm, forming a circle about one–quarter inch thick. Use a small cookie cutter or glass to cut a hole in the center. Let dough rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. While dough rests, put a medium glass bowl of one–half cup bittersweet chocolate chips with two tablespoons of heavy cream and one teaspoon of milk in a microwave at half power for two minutes. Add one teaspoon of light corn syrup and one–half teaspoon of vanilla and stir until smooth. Heat a deep skillet filled halfway with vegetable oil on medium–high until a drop of leftover dough sizzles quickly when tested. Fry donuts until golden brown, about one minute per side. Transfer to wire rack over foil until cool enough to handle. Dip donuts in glaze and top with your favorite sprinkles.
