Shoo Fly Pie

Once again my reading addiction has got me craving a food.  Not something healthy, like a salad, but something baked and delicious.  Not that you can't love a good salad.

This time it was a Shoo Fly Pie.  I looked up recipes and there are many variations.  I also found opinions that the origin of the Shoo Fly pie was the Treacle Tart, found in England.  It sounded like something I would like to try.  I was having company and wanted a dessert and so a Shoo Fly Pie was born.

I found many different recipes for the crust.  But I am lazy.  I didn't want to make the crust, so I used a pre made crust from the store.  I have no idea if a homemade crust would make a difference, but I am not a crust snob.  This one tasted just fine.  I used the Food Network Magazine recipe for the filling.

 

Shoo Fly Pie

1 pre made pie crust, room temperature
1 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 large egg
1 cup molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup boiling water

 

Spray Pam in a 9 inch pie plate.  Unroll the room temperature crust carefully and place in the pie plate.  Turn the edges under and pinch all around to make a fluted crust.  Place in the refrigerator for an hour to chill.

 

Go read a book or start dinner.  You have an hour to kill.

 

Place a baking sheet in the middle of the oven and pre heat it to 375°.  You will need this because mine overflowed and yours probably will to!

 

Whisk the flour, brown sugar and butter in a large heat proof bowl.  Take out 2/3 cup of the mixture and set aside. 

 

This will be your topping.

 

Add the egg, molasses and baking soda to the brown sugar mixture in the heat proof bowl and mix well.   Then pour in the boiling water and whisk until smooth. 

 

Get the pie shell out of the refrigerator and carefully pour in the molasses mixture.  Sprinkle on the brown sugar mixture that you were saving.  Carefully place the very full pie plate on the hot baking sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes.

After the 10 minutes are up, reduce the heat to 350 ° and bake for 40 to 45 more minutes.  Mine took the whole 45 minutes.  Bake until the crust is golden and the filling is firm.

 

Transfer to a cooling rack to cool.  Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Or be decadent and serve with whipped cream.  Oh, heck.  Let's not kid ourselves here.  I put a big honking scoop of vanilla ice cream on mine and loved every bit of it.

 

Next time I might add a cup of pecans and make a different sort of pecan pie.  I don't like the gooey bottom on a pecan pie.  You would need a bigger pie plate, though.  That's okay.  I have bigger ones!

My Aunt Suzy brought me a big jar of sorghum.  I bet a sorghum Shoo Fly Pie would be good, too.  Maybe I'll make a sorghum pecan Shoo Fly Pie.  How bout that, Suzy?  Want to come for dessert?