Shoo Fly Pie

Traditional Pennsylvania Dutch Shoo Fly Pie

Crust Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup (1/2 butter & 1/2 shortening)

3 - 4 tablespoons chilled water

Filling Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup white or brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup boiling water

whipped cream for garnish

Crust Method:
Preheat oven to 375*. In a mixing bowl, sift together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, or two knives, cut in butter and shortening until pieces are the size of small peas. Next, use your fingers to continue mixing until the flour resembles cornmeal. 

Sprinkle one tablespoon of the water over a part of the flour mixture and gently toss with a fork.  Push to side of bowl. Repeat until all of the flour is moistened. Form the dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, flatten the dough with your hands. Roll dough from the center to the edges, forming a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Wrap pastry around rolling pin. Unroll from pin over a 9 inch pie pan. Ease dough into the pie pan, while being careful not to stretch the pastry. Trim dough to a 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the pie plate, folding under extra pastry around the edge. Use fingers to pinch dough into a scalloped edge. 

Filling Method:
Sift together flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.Cut butter into small cubes and add to flour mixture. (I used white sugar.) Use two knives to cut butter into mixture, until it resembles course "meal". Use your fingers to blend mixture a bit more. Set aside. Mix molasses and baking soda in another bowl and immediately stir in boiling water. Stir in 1 1/3 cups of the crumb mixture. Pour into the prepared pie crust. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over the top of the filling to cover. 

Ready to  go into the oven, with crumbs sprinkled 

on top, evenly to edges of the crust.

Bake for 40 - 60 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. (To prevent the crust from becoming too dark, the pie can be covered lightly with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.) Cut into 8 slices. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream.

Notes: This pie is sweet, so serve small slices. It has a coffeecake-like top and a jam/custard-like molasses bottom. Mostly it is served slightly warm with whipped cream, but I prefer my serving to be chilled. For the history and more details about this recipe, please see "The Origin and History of Shoo Fly Pie" at: carriekitchencreations@blogspot.com