How Michael Scott Made My Kitchen Floor Sticky.

This post shall also be known as Snickerdoodle Pie.

Not sure how others enter 'The Baking Zone' but I like to listen/watch reruns of my favorite shows. Thus our story begins.

Today I made Snickerdoodle Pie - I found the recipe on the Better Homes and Garden website. My home is not better nor do I have a garden but I do enjoy their recipes.

Here are the ingredients all sectioned out that you'll need:

Crust:

• Single pie crust (I bought mine - don't judge me. I have made crust before but wasn't willing to donate the blood, sweat and many tears this go around. So, yeah.)

Crust sprinkle:

• 1 TBS sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 TBS butter, melted

Pie syrup:

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened (that's one stick of butter)
• 3 TBS water
• 2 TBS light-colored corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Pie fillin':

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cream of tartar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk (I used skim)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

So I was excited about this recipe for a few reasons, one being I already had many of these ingredients. Well, with a few exceptions. This leads me to 'Lessons I Learned at Schnucks in Collinsville'.

Lesson 1: You must have 3-12 screaming children with you to come to Collinsville Schnucks. They must run in different directions and scream all at the same time. Good luck mamas.

Lesson 2: Nothing is ever where you think it will be. Did you know that they keep Velveeta cheese in the aisle with all the condiments? Why?

Lesson 3: To get to the check out or the Land of Frozen Pizzas, you have to walk through the Personal Care section - which means I end up buying shampoo, body wash, face soap, toothpaste and fun flossing devices. They've got me pegged.

Lesson 4: Never enter the grocery store without a cell phone or smart phone. Every time I've baked I've ended up having a question - ie "How many cups are in a pound?", "Is confectioners sugar and powdered sugar the same thing?", "Hey Mom, do I really have to use lard? Wow. That's gross.", or "Ryan, how much brown sugar do we have left?"

Well, today I forgot my phone in my car (shocking for those who have ever tried to call me) and I had to ask the store troll (I call him 'troll' because I'm pretty sure he lives under a bridge. A-hole) if there was a difference between Cream of Tartar and Tarter Sauce. He looked at me as if I was a Billy Goat trying to cross his drawbridge or something.

Lesson four learned - cream of tartar is different and is with all the spices. Which was nice because I did need vanilla but come on troll man - let's be friendly and not such a jack ass about Laura's questions. Spanks.

Moving on!

Grease your fav. pie dish and lay out your crust (homemade or store bought) in the dish. Brush a tablespoon worth of melted butter on the crust. Combine sugar and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and sprinkle on the buttery crust.

It will have a glassy look - baking is pretty and yummy

In a sauce pan (different than a skillet) - melt a stick of butter, brown sugar, water, corn syrup and 1/4 tsp of cinnamon. Get it to a light boil for two-ish minutes and add 1/2 tsp vanilla. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350.

I must stop this post here for a min to explain how my floors got all sticky (that's what she said). As I mentioned before I like to watch/listen to reruns while I bake. Today there was a marathon of The Office on TBS so I had a plethora of shows to pick from. Show one had ended somewhere around adding the cinnamon to the syrup and bringing it to a boil. So I walked into the living room to pick a new show. While skimming my options (DVR you're my best friend) I heard a bubbling type noise...a constant bubbling noise.

"Oh my," she yelled in fear. "The syrup must be bubbling over the saucepan and has burnt and will now have to chiseled off. F!"

If that were only the case friends. I took the six large steps it takes to get from the living room to the kitchen and saw syrup nicely boiling in the saucepan but then turned to my left and saw what the 'bubbling' noise was. 



That's right people. Full bottle of vanilla all over the dish washer, counter, floor and kitchen rug. I blame my chef salt and pepper shakers who did nothing but watch as this disaster occured. Useless little men. 

 

Jerks. Just stood there like idiots watching it all happen.


So after a Windex spray down, half roll of paper towels, tracking vanilla through the house because I stepped right in it (house smelled yummy but that's besides the point) and a quick mopping session...that's how Michael Scott made my kitchen floor sticky.

In a mixing bowl beat a stick of butter until soft. Beat in sugar, powdered sugar, baking powder, salt, and cream of tartar (thanks troll). Beat in egg and teaspoon of vanilla (in case you're wondering I was able to get a teaspoon and a half from what was left in the bottle - thanks for nothing little chefs). Add milk and beat until combined. Beat in flour.

Spread this yummy cake type mix into the pie crust. Slowly pour the syrup over the top. I call out the slow part because it will make a mess if it slops everywhere. Sticky, sticky mess people.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.

Uncover and bake for another 20. Use the 'stick a toothpick in it' method to see when it is done. The top was very cake-ish. I sprinkled a bit more sugar and cinnamon on top.

I had to indulge and have a slice tonight. Toot Toot.

That's me tooting my own horn folks. Very yummy. I do have to say it is pretty much a cake in a pie crust. Wondering if I could make this in a square cake pan without the pie crust next time. This would also be amazing face with some Bobby's Frozen Custard on the side. If I weren't still bitter from the 'Vanilla Disaster of 2011', as it shall now be known, I probably would have gone to get some. So I settled for a small glass of milk.

So after a half pound of butter, a whole bottle of vanilla, four episodes of The Office and a troll everything turned out yummy. :)

Yum,

Laura

P.S. Dogs were not as pissed or frantic as I was about the Vanilla Disaster of 2011. Maybe they are onto something.