• Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

the apple pie filling

• Peel the apples and cut them into a petite dice, about 1/4 inch chunks. I got about 3 cups of chopped apples. Toss with a little lemon juice and add to a medium saucepan along with the 1/4 cup sugar, 3/4 tsp apple pie spice, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract, pinch salt, and1/4 cup water. Give everything a good toss to combine.
• Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, stirring often to prevent sticking. Then turn down and let the apples simmer until the sauce is thick and glossy and the apples are tender. I partially cover the pan to retain moisture. This will only take about 10 minutes. Add a little more water if the sauce gets too thick before the apples have cooked.
• Turn the apple filling into a bowl and set aside to cool.

the pecan streusel topping

• Put the 1/4 cup AP flour, 1 1/2 Tbsp cold salted butter cut in chunks, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, and 2 Tbsp finely chopped pecans into a bowl and use a fork or your fingers to combine into a sandy mixture. Make sure to get all the butter incorporated. Set aside. Note: do not add the beaten egg to the streusel, it's for brushing on the croissants to help it stick.

the croissants

• Use a large sharp serrated knife to slice the croissants in half lenghtwise. Use a gentle sawing motion so you don't crush them.
• Set them, cut side up, on the baking sheet. Bake for 4 minutes.
• Spread the apple pie filling on the bottom side of each croissant.
• Turn the top sides over and brush lightly with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the pecan streusel over the top. Note: I like to add a few extra crushed pecans on top.
• Bake for a further 7 minutes, or until golden, crisp and hot. Serve right away, with a dusting of powdered sugar if you like.
• Leftovers can be kept lightly covered at room temperature for a day.