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Got some crescent roll dough, cream cheese and a lemon hanging around? Then you’ve got what you need to make this delicious lemon sopapilla.
Few Ingredients But Big Taste
This has been said here more times than I can count, but I’m always amazed at how a few basic ingredients result in something awesome. Since that’s the case here, it’s worth repeating.
This lemon sopapilla is another example. It’s full of bright tart lemon flavor and anyone would think you fussed. It uses stuff you probably already have on hand. There’s not many of us that don’t have a tube or two of crescent roll dough, some cream cheese and a lemon hanging around in the fridge. This is a great dessert to use them in.
Less Fat? Sure!
If you want to reduce some of the fat in this rather rich dessert, you certainly can.
The regular cream cheese can be replaced with Neufchatel cheese. Some companies market this as “low-fat cream cheese.” However it’s a bit inaccurate because Neufchatel is a cheese in itself. It has considerably less fat than cream cheese and it tastes almost exactly the same. Steer clear of fat-free products because they do not give good results in most things calling for cream cheese.
They also sell reduced-fat crescent roll dough, so that can be substitute safely with no loss in texture nor flavor. I recommend getting the dough in sheets rather than the perforated type that is used for rolls. The sheets are easier to work with.
No Soggy Crust
It takes a little extra time but par-baking the bottom layer of dough will prevent this dessert from getting too soggy. It will create a seal, of sorts, that won’t absorb liquid as rapidly as when you don’t pre-bake. The extra prep time is worth it especially if the sopapilla will have to be stored if it’s not all eaten when you first serve it.
The Recipe
Lemon Sopapilla
Ingredients
- 16 oz refrigerated crescent roll dough 2-8 oz pckages, divided
- 2 lemons zested and juiced, divided
- 16 oz cream cheese (2-8 oz packages)softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tbs butter melted
- 3 tbs sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil--let the foil overhang on the sides-- and spray with cooking spray.
- Press 1 can crescent roll dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, stretching to the edges. Bake for 10 minutes then remove from oven and cool slightly.
- Mix the zest of 1 1/2 lemons and 2 tablespoons of the juice. Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar into lemon zest mixture using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy; spread over crescent roll dough layer.
- Layer the second sheet of crescent roll dough over cream cheese mixture, gently stretching dough to the edges. Brush melted butter over crescent roll dough layer. Mix remaining lemon zest and 3 tablespoons sugar together in a bowl; sprinkle over butter.
- Bake about 30 minutes. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes. Lift dessert from baking dish using foil; transfer to a cutting board. Cut into squares, leaving on foil. Return dessert to the baking dish and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.
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