Cinnamon Roll Chocolate Hazelnut Pie

I've been waiting for this since January...

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving if they celebrated it:)

As much as I love November--with my birthday and Thanksgiving and the crisp fall weather--it's finally time for the Christmas season! I'm not ashamed to admit that I've been counting down for the past month already, but, now, the real countdown begins. I'm so ready to see all of the houses light up with decorations in the next few days!!

While we're on the subject, we're about to go in FULL Christmas mode for the next month. And I have lots of fun treats that I'm so excited to share! 

Starting with this one... 

But before I dive into how delicious this crazy treat is... I want to apologize for the photography of it. I made this pie under pressure to have the entire kitchen clean in less than an hour before some family came in for Thanksgiving, so a quick snap on my phone was the only picture I could get. Just trust that this pie is not only divine and heavenly but also incredibly beautiful. 

And it is also incredibly rich. Pecan pie is one of my favorite pies, but that's really only because of the filling. I'm not a big pecan gal, so this was my attempt at creating a pie with that same silky sweet filling without the actual pecans.

I immediately thought of hazelnuts because I knew I wanted to incorporate chocolate into it, and what is a better combination than the iconic hazelnut and chocolate?? Especially when loaded into a cinnamon roll pie crust. This pie literally tastes like Nutella stuffed cinnamon rolls... but

way

better.

The hazelnuts add a slightly bitter earthy nutty flavor which definitely calms down all of the sweetness. I also tossed them in cacao powder (but unsweetened cocoa powder will work as well) to intensify the chocolate flavor and contribute to the bitter bite just a little bit more.

What most intensely inspired this pie idea was all of the "crazy food combinations" flooding social media these days. I scroll through Instagram and see layered pie stuffed cakes, cereal waffles-cakes, cookie dough stuffed french toast, pasta

on

pizza (that one I really want to try), and even things like mac and cheese stuffed burgers. People love crazy-over-the-top combinations with food, and I'm not completely against it...

Plus, Nutella, pecan pie, and cinnamon rolls all scream Christmas to me -- and when they're all combined into one sweet, chocolatey, and gooey dessert, you can't really go wrong.

So, I think it goes without saying that this pie is

everything

for the holidays.

Cinnamon Roll Chocolate Hazelnut Pie

1 9-inch round pie

• 1 pack of your favorite cinnamon rolls (save the icing)

• 1/2 cup light corn syrup

• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 whole egg + 2 egg yolks

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 tsp. maple extract (optional)

• 1 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1/3 cup butter- melted & cooled

• 1 cup chopped hazelnuts

• 3 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder

• 1/2 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350º.

Press 4 of the cinnamon rolls together in a square and using a floured surface and rolling pin, roll out the cinnamon rolls to form a pie crust. Gently transfer the pie crust to a lightly greased 9-inch pie pan.  

Poke a generous amount of holes into all parts of the pie crust using a fork. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and use the back of a large spoon to press the risen cinnamon rolls back down. Press all the way around the crust to create a flat deep surface again. 

Beat the eggs together and whisk in the granulated sugar until the mixture reaches a pale yellow color. Next mix in the corn syrups and the melted butter. Add the vanilla and optional maple extracts, 1 tablespoon of cocoa/cacao powder, and salt. 

Toss the hazelnuts in the 3 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder and shake the extra powder off. Add in the chocolate chips to the mixture.

Pour the mixture into the pie crust and top with the hazelnuts. Gently press the hazelnuts into the pie so they slightly sink in. 

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes. The pie should still be jiggly in the center.

Let cool completely and drizzle with the cinnamon roll icing.

I also topped mine with some

Dark Cocoa Sugar Crystals from Skordo Spices.

XOXO

Cecilia A.