Shoo Fly Pie

 

Thom Hackett

Servings:  6

 

Shoo Fly Pie

 

Shoo Fly Pie is a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch dessert. Brown sugar, molasses, shortening, salt, and spices were all non-perishable ingredients that could survive the long ocean's crossing to America made by German immigrants. The pie's unusual name is said to be due to the fact that pies were traditionally set to cool on windowsills, and due to the sweet ingredients, the cook would constantly have to shoo the flies away.

 

1 unbaked 9" pie crust

 

--- Liquid Bottom Part ---
½  cup dark corn syrup
½  cup molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 whole egg, lightly beaten
1 cup water, boiling


--- Top Crumb Part ---
1 cup flour
 ⅔ cup butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½  teaspoon nutmeg
½  cup brown sugar

whipped cream

Preheat oven to 325° F. 

 

Mix the crumb topping ingredients together with a pastry blender until well mixed and mixture resemble fine crumbs. 

  1. Set aside.

  2. Crumb topping is a bit of misnomer as the crumbs will be absorbed into the liquid bottom layer, but we'll get to this later.

Mix molasses and corn syrup, add boiling water and stir to mix. 

  1. Add baking soda and beaten egg and mix well.

  2. Spoon into an unbaked piecrust. 

  3. Spoon the crumb mixture over the top of the pie. 

  4. Place the pie on a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil ) trust me, if the pie shell overflows you don't want burning sugar syrup all over your oven) and bake for about 40 minutes or until pie is medium set and dark brown. 

  5. Serve warm or chilled, top with whipped cream.

NOTE:  You can make this pie using a full cup of molasses instead of the molasses/corn syrup mixture, but I think you will like it better according to the recipe.