Shoofly Pie

I always have to resist the urge to follow that up with "and apple pan dowdy.  Make your eyes light up, your tummy say howdy."  I mentioned that song to someone the other day and they had never heard it.  Surprising.  Shoofly Pie is an Amish specialty.  I've never had any version but this one, so I can't say how authentic it is.  Nonetheless, it is delicious.  It's sort of like a cake with a gooey layer on the bottom, all baked in a pie shell.  It has a nice cinnamon, molasses, and brown sugar flavor.  If you're not a molasses lover, don't let that scare you away.  My mother isn't a huge molasses fan but she loves this pie.  It's best served with whipped cream, though ice cream would probably be yummy, too. 

Shoofly Pie
allrecipes.com

1/2 cup molasses

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup boiling water

1 pinch salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, dissolve the soda in the molasses and stir until it foams. Sir in the boiling water and pinch of salt. In a separate bowl (I use my food processor), mix the flour, cinnamon, brown sugar and butter into crumbs.

Pour 1/3 of the molasses mixture into the unbaked crust. Sprinkle 1/3 of the crumbs over the molasses mixture and continue alternating layers, finishing with the crumbs on top.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the crumbs and crust are golden.  Serve at room temperature.