Cinnamon Roll Pie Crust

Ingredients: 

Cinnamon rolls 

Pie filling of choice

For many people, the crust is the best part of a pie, and even if it's not the best part, it's important. A bad crust can turn a good pie to awful. You might have your own recipes, but when it comes to pie crust, you don't really have many choices. You can make a dough crust or a graham cracker crust; that's about it. But now, you can add another crust to the list, and it might just be the best one ever. A cinnamon roll pie crust is so delicious and unusual that you'll be able to create dozens of new desserts that you've never tried.

A dough crust takes a lot of time and effort; a graham cracker crust, not so much. But a cinnamon roll crust is so easy that you won't want to go back to rolling dough, or crushing graham crackers. All you'll have to do is pop open a pack of cinnamon rolls and press them into the pie pan. Cinnamon rolls that you just open and put in the oven are sold at any grocery store. However, you could make your own cinnamon rolls if you want.

It's not necessary to spray the pie pan with non-stick cooking spray before putting in the cinnamon rolls. Instead, just open them, take one out, and place it in the center of the pie pan. Make a circle of rolls around that one, and another around that one, until you have cinnamon rolls covering the entire bottom and sides. Press each roll flat as you put it into the pie pan. It will likely take a bit more than one pack of rolls, but no more than two, for each pie.

Bake the rolls, according to the package or recipe instructions. Some pies will require you to add the pie ingredients to the cinnamon roll shell before baking. For other desserts, bake the rolls first, and then put in the pie filling. Pies that are great with the cinnamon roll shells include certain pudding pies - such as vanilla or chocolate - apple pie, or cherry pie. To make a top crust for a fruit pie, flatten the rolls first, and then lay them on the pie filling.

Invite some of your friends or family members over to try the new pie. Just don't say anything to them, serve it, and wait for the responses from your guests. They'll be amazed at what a great baker you are and you'll happily accept their compliments!