Magic Marshmallow Crescent Puffs

The magic part is real, the marshmallow vanishes during baking and leaves behind a hollow, gooey-walled puff coated in cinnamon sugar. Pillsbury has been printing this trick on the back of crescent roll cans for decades, and it still pulls off the same fun reveal every time.

The key move is sealing the dough tightly around the marshmallow. Pinch every edge closed or the marshmallow leaks out the seam and welds itself to the muffin tin (which is why the recipe insists on lining the pan with foil).

Dipping the wrapped puff in melted butter before baking is what gives the outside that glossy, almost-fried crispness. A simple powdered sugar glaze drizzled over the warm puffs finishes them like a bakery breakfast pastry.

Pro Tips

• Pinch and re-pinch the dough seams firmly, any gap means a marshmallow blowout in the oven
• Use deep muffin cups so the puffs can rise without tipping over
• Remove from the pan immediately after baking, the sugar glue sets fast and pulls the dough apart if it cools in the tin
• Serve warm, the inside texture is best in the first hour out of the oven

Variations

• Roll the marshmallows in cocoa-sugar instead of cinnamon for a chocolate version
• Tuck a square of dark chocolate alongside the marshmallow for a s’mores puff
• Swap chopped pecans for walnuts or sliced almonds on top of the glaze