Arlene's Shoo-Fly Pie
James Troutman
Date: 2002/12/16
Last revised: 2003/07/27
I was asked for my mother's recipe for Shoo-Fly Pie, so after some badgering on my part, she wrote down her secret. It turns out to be about the easiest of several recipes that I've seen for Shoo-Fly Pie. In testing it, my very first try came out pretty good. Not as good as hers, but still...
After consulting with her, I've concluded that my mistake was in my choice of molasses (see separate entry about Pennsylvania Dutch Molasses).
Arlene's Shoo-Fly Pie
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon Crisco*
1 egg
1 cup dark "molasses" (aka dark corn syrup)
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup hot water
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Mix together the flour, brown sugar, and Crisco. Take out 1/2 cup for the topping.
Mix in the egg.
Mix in the "molasses."
Dissolve the baking soda in the water and add to the mix.
Pour into a 9" baking shell (see recipe below or use your favorite pie crust recipe).
Sprinkle the 1/2 cup topping over the top.
Bake in 400 degree F. oven for 25 minutes; reduce heat to 350 and bake another 25 minutes.
You may want to keep an eye on it, as it has a tendency overflow while baking.
* Instead of Crisco you can use butter or vegetable oil; I like to use olive oil myself.
Arlene's Pie Dough
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup Crisco*
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon vinegar
5 tablespoons water
Mix together the flour, Crisco, and salt.
Add the egg, vinegar, and water. Mix well.
Cover and refrigerate at least 5 hours (Arlene recommends overnight).
Makes 3 shells.
The dough can be frozen, to be used as needed.
* Arlene's tip for measuring Crisco: fill a two-cup measuring cup with 3/4 cup of water. Add the Crisco, packing it down until the water reaches the 2 cup mark. Pour off the water.
Beliefs