Caramel Apple Pull-Aparts

I was looking to make something sweet, and we were also out of snacks, and had no ripe bananas on hand to use in muffins, so I looked for a sweet snack recipe. I found this, a different take on a cinnamon roll, combining the classic combinations of caramel and apples, apples and cinnamon, apples and nuts, and nuts and caramel, all wrapped in a nice, fluffy dough. They are excellent warm from the oven, but they are also delicious once cooled. They don't need the caramel sauce, but it does add to them quite a bit. I did not use any nuts in the recipe, and I also made the caramel sauce I usually make, which is a sightly different recipe than this one.

Caramel Apple Pull-Aparts
APPLE FILLING
2 medium cooking apples, peeled and chopped
3 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon granulated (white) sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped, toasted walnuts (optional)
DOUGH
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold butter or hard margarine, cut up
3/4 cup milk
1 Tablespoon butter or hard margarine, melted
CARAMEL SAUCE
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 large marshmallows, quartered
1 Tablespoon chopped, toasted walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 400◦F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan or deep pie plate.
APPLE FILLING: In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the apples, water, and granulated sugar for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until apple is tender. Cool slightly before adding the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts, if desired.
DOUGH: In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center, add milk. Knead dough about eight times, until smooth. Roll into a 8x16 inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter, leaving a 1 inch border all around. Sprinkle with apple filling. Roll up from long side, pinch seam to seal. Cut into twelve slices. Arrange slices standing upright, cut sides together, in a circular pattern in prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes until golden. Let stand for 5 minutes.
CARAMEL SAUCE: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat all ingredients until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Drizzle over warm pull-aparts. Sprinkle with nuts, if desired.

Paré, Jean. "Caramel Nut Pull-Aparts." Recipe. Mostly Muffins, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 2007. 134-135.