Shoofly pie is a fluffy molasses pie that's a traditional dessert here in Lancaster County, PA. The pie got it's name because the molasses in it attracts flies, so when you'd sit the pie on the window sill to cool, you'd constantly be shooing the flies away. Most people eat "wet bottom" shoofly pie, which differentiates from "dry bottom" shoofly pies because there's a gooey bottom layer that forms when the pie bakes. "Dry bottom" shoofly pie is more cake like. You may already know all of that, but did you know that now when the Amish are having a large picnic, they sometimes will bake extra shoofly pies to put around the perimeter of their picnic, so that the flies are drawn away from their food? Maybe that's a trick that I should try at my next picnic! Here's a great recipe for some delicious shoofly pie!
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar - 1/2 cup molasses - 1 egg - 1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda - 1 cup boiling water
TOPPING:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour - 3/4 cup packed brown sugar - 3/4 teaspoon baking soda - Dash salt - 6 tablespoons cold butter
Directions
1. Line pastry with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove foil; brush crust with egg yolk. Bake 5 minutes longer; cool on a wire rack.
2. For filling, in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, molasses, egg, flour and baking soda; gradually add boiling water. Cool to room temperature; pour into prepared crust.
3. For topping, in a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over filling. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown and filling is set. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator.
