Shoofly Pie

Here’s my recipe for shoofly pie, another popular Pennsylvania pastry created by the PA Dutch.🌞

A shoofly pie is basically a crumb cake within a pie crust. Traditionally served as a breakfast food, they were easy to eat by hand and take on the go. While recipes for a wet version also exist, I like the classic, set consistency throughout.

These denser pastries were usually added to early ovens following the weekly bread-baking (which needed extremely hot fires) and could therefore stand up to heat better than lighter fruit pies.

Several theories exist about the source of the name “shoo-fly,” which could’ve originated with a 19th-century brand of molasses. It may have also been named for Shoo-fly the Boxing Mule, a popular circus animal that toured Pennsylvania, who himself may have been named after the song “Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me.” In PA Dutch it’s called melassichriwwelkuche, or molasses crumb cake.

Even though it has a denser consistency, it’s surprisingly light and great with coffee or ice cream. I think it’s a bit sweeter and milder than gingerbread.

Crumb topping:

– 1¼ cup flour
– ¾ cup light brown sugar
– 3 tablespoons butter

Pie:

– 1 egg beaten
– ¾ cup molasses
– ¾ cup hot water (divided)
– ¼ tsp. salt
– ¼ tsp. cinnamon
– ½ tsp. baking soda
– 1 unbaked pie crust (9-in)

Start by mixing the flour and sugar. Cut in the butter. (I still haven’t bought myself a pastry blender so I use a cheese grater). Remove ½ cup of crumbs and set aside.

To the larger portion of crumbs, add the egg, molasses, cinnamon, and salt. Blend in ½ cup of hot water. Dissolve the baking soda in the remaining ¼ cup of hot water and add last.

Pour into your pie crust (the batter will be watery). Sprinkle reserved crumbs on top.

Bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes.

I left mine in the oven a tad too long—the crumb is usually a little lighter on top—but the cake was still great. My kids devoured this one yesterday, it’s pretty much gone.

(btw, in folk magic, molasses is great for long-term sweetening work.🌸)

To learn more about me and my Appalachian folk practice, including info on folk witchcraft, mountain magic, and hearthcraft, please visit gritchenwitch.com or join my Patreon at patreon.com/gritchenwitch.

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