Cinnamon Roll Sugar Pie

Where do I begin about this pie?!

Canadians love their Sugar Pie, thanks to Quebec’s fabulous contribution to our country’s cuisine. It is probably related to similar tarts in France and Belgium. It’s pretty basic.  Sugar, evaporated milk, eggs, etc, pie crust!  Humble ingredients that create the perfect answer to when our sweet tooth starts acting up.  Sugar Pie is also known as Tarte au Sucre.  Variations of this pie are Shoofly Pie, Maple Pie, Caramel Pie, Chess Pies, Butter Tarts, even a pecan pie without the nuts is vaguely along the same lines as this simple pie.

I didn’t think there was much that could be done with this classic pie.  Until I opened up Suzie Durigon’s baking book, ‘Baked’.  In it she shares the fabulous next level rendition of Sugar Pie: Cinnamon Roll Sugar Pie.  Yep, there are cinnamon rolls in the filling!!  This recipe came to her via her friend Jenn (not me!!) Jenn’s Quebecois mom bakes her version of Sugar Pie with added pie crust spirals to help cut the sweetness. It really couldn’t be easier.  Just using the extra pie pastry to create a simple cinnamon roll of brown sugar sprinkled over the pastry, rolling it up and slicing the roll into rounds to place in the pie shell.  The rest is just more sugar and the milk. Having the cinnamon rolls in the filling adds the stability needed so that eggs or cornstarch won’t need to be used. And yes, the pastry bakes up to a lovely tender texture, despite being surrounded by milk and sugar.  Fabulous flakey results. Yes, this is a sweet pie.  It’s not a pie you’d make weekly.  But you know, when I tried it, I realized that with some unsweetened whip cream, this is a fabulous little dessert. I used my Perfect Pie Crust recipe: it makes the perfect amount needed.

I will now admit my changes to the recipe in Suzie’s book.  Actually, they aren’t changes at all, just a few additions.  I added cinnamon itself to the brown sugar.  I did add some chopped pecans to the rolls.  and I added mini chocolate chips to the final sprinkling of brown sugar that covers the little rolls.  I did all of this to cut through the sheer sweetness of it all!  Yes, the chocolate is sweet, but in a different way.  The nuts and the cinnamon would add some earthy warmth and texture.  On it’s own, this is the classic pie that every self-respecting Quebecois grandmère makes.  The rest is me.  I hope you don’t mind, Suzie!!

About Suzie and her special book: Suzy is a fellow Torontonian, an accomplished chef and cooking instructor, and has the cheerful blog, ‘Just Crumbs’.  This book is a sheer labour of love for Suzie.  If ever there was a person who bakes for others out of love, care, and compassion, it is Suzie. And she has taken all the baking recipes that she has relied on through the years and put them into a book for us. These are the recipes that she and now we can turn to when we hear that someone is feeling blue, when a new family has moved into the neighbourhood, when a good friend is sick, when a family suddenly needs some help.  Both savoury and sweet, these are recipes that are approachable, easy, and comforting.  And as she acknowledges, ‘baking can be meditative in nature, boosts creativity, and stimulates the senses, which boosts serotonin. It nourishes and when shared, makes those we love happy as well.’  So there is every good reason to bake, and often!  She has affectionately called her passion project the ‘Bake It Forward’ movement, the spreading of love through food as acts of kindness that are most mindful.

Suzie presents it all with her singular humour and aplomb.  Stories and anecdotes are gently peppered throughout.  She gives us the recipes, and then the variations that we can try for them.  She wants us to look forward to being in the kitchen, so gives us recipes that aren’t overwhelming or unnecessarily intricate.  But still, the experienced baker will find heaps of great recipes to add to their repertoire.

How do ‘Baked Gingerbread Oatmeal with Bananas Foster’, ‘Sweet Potato Maple Muffins’, ‘Everything-but-the-Kitchen-Sink Compost Cookies’, ‘Roasted Lemon and Dark Chocolate Biscotti’, ‘Cherry Almond Macaroon Squares’, ‘Strawberry and Cookie Butter Pop Tarts’, ‘Inside-Out Peach Scones’ and ‘Mamma Mia Pizza Rolls’ sound?  Great, right?!  Well, that’s just the tip of the tasty iceberg.  You guys will love this book.  There are so many everyday recipes, along with all the baking ideas for the more fancy occasions, in this beautiful book. 

Speaking of beautiful, the book is chock full of the most glorious photos thanks to Betty Binon, another fellow Toronto blogger and artist extraordinaire!  Her work can be seen on her blog, ‘Stems and Forks’ and it will leave you speechless.  Dramatic, moody, full of emotion, her photos tell stories.  You will find amazing food recipes to accompany the photos, and she also does workshops on food photography and floral arranging. Although, I just don’t know how she does it all!  I’ve never seen someone so full of energy and creativity, despite a full workload and family to care for. 

So here is the recipe for this wonderful quirky pie.  After his first slice, Jim said, “My dad would love this as well.” So I’m cutting up some slices for Jim to deliver to his parents.  Bake it forward! Thank you for sharing your book with us Suzie.  It will keep us baking and sharing for years to come!

ps, to add this book to your collection, just click here

Love Jen

Print

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Pie

All the goodness and comfort of a traditional Quebecois Sugar Pie, with the added bonus of pie pastry 'cinnamon rolls' in the filling! This is sweet, but in the best way possible!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Canadian

Keyword brown sugar, cinnamon rolls, pie

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Servings 10

Ingredients

• 1 double pie crust recipe see Notes for link to my pastry or store bought is just fine!
• 2 cups brown sugar divided
• 3/4 cup evaporated milk

Add ons: Optional

• 2 tsp cinnamon divided
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tbsp mini chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. On a well floured surface, roll out one pie crust round large enough to fit into a 10 inch pie plate. Ease the pastry into the plate, and crimp as desired.
3. Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar across the bottom of the pie shell. Place in the fridge while you work on the filling.
4. Roll out the other pastry round into a rectangle about 10 x 12 inches.
5. Cover the pastry with 1 cup of brown sugar. Sprinkle 1 tsp of the cinnamon evenly over the brown sugar. Then sprinkle the pecans pieces over the brown sugar. Press everything down gently into the pastry.
6. Beginning with one longer side, roll the pastry gently but tightly into a log. Cut it into 1 inch thick rolls (like cinnamon rolls) Place these into the pie shell over the brown sugar, leaving about 1/2 inch between each roll. Cover everything with the remaining brown sugar, letting it fill in the gaps as well. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon over the sugar. Then sprinkle the chocolate chips over everything.
7. Pour the evaporated milk evenly over the entire filling.
8. Place the pie onto a baking sheet and place this onto the centre rack. Bake until top is burnished and brown, about 40-50 minutes.
9. Let it cool on a wire rack. Wait for a good couple of hours before cutting into it, to let the filling set.
10. Best served with unsweetened whipped cream and a good coffee.
11. Can be stored in a sealed container for a few days.