Shoo-Fly Pie

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2009

Show: Good EatsEpisode: Pantry Raid X: Dark Side of the Cane

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (8)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(8)

Cook Time:
1 hr 0 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
8 to 10 servings

Times:

Prep: 30 min
Inactive Prep: 45 min
Cook: 1 hr 0 min
Total:: 2 hr 15 min

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Ingredients

Crust:

6 ounces all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3 ounces unsalted butter, chilled
1-ounce lard, chilled
4 tablespoons ice water, in spritz bottle
Approximately 32 ounces dried beans, blind baking

Crumbs:

5 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
4 ounces dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling:

3/4 cup boiling water
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces molasses, by weight
1 whole egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the crust:

Directions

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt by pulsing 3 to 4 times. Add butter and pulse 5 to 6 times until texture looks mealy. Add lard and pulse another 3 to 4 times. Remove lid of food processor and spritz surface of mixture thoroughly with water. Replace lid and pulse 5 times. Add more water and pulse again until mixture holds together when squeezed. Place mixture in large resealable bag, squeeze together until it forms a ball, and then press into a rounded disk and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place 2 (9-inch) metal pie pans in the refrigerator to chill.

Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out in the bag until it reaches the edges of the bag and is 10 to 11-inches round. Cut along 2 sides of the plastic bag, open bag to expose dough on 1 side and turn a 9-inch pie pan upside down on the exposed side. Invert the entire thing and gently pull the remaining side of the plastic bag off the dough. Press the dough into the edges around the pan and trim any excess dough. Press the edges of the dough over the lip of the pan. Place in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Poke holes around sides and into the bottom of the dough. Place a large piece of parchment paper on top of dough and fill with dry beans. Press beans into edges of dough, set on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove parchment and beans and continue baking until light golden in color, approximately 7 minutes longer. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Allow to cool completely while preparing the filling.

Decrease heat of oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crumbs:

Place the flour, brown sugar, butter and salt into the bowl of a food processor and process until it forms crumbs. Reserve 1/4 cup and set both aside.

For the filling:

Place the baking soda in a medium mixing bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla; whisk to combine. Add the larger amount of crumbs to the molasses mixture and whisk just to combine. Pour this mixture into the prepared crust. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of crumb mixture evenly over the top of the filling. Place pie on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the filling puffs, begins to look dry and starts to crack slightly. Remove from the oven, transfer to a rack, and cool completely before cutting.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Shoo-Fly Pie
Aimee Redmond, WA 10-29-2009
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Nummyness!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I have never had Shoo-fly pie before and I wanted to try something different. Everyone in the family loved it! I've made this... pie twice now (second one is in the oven) and will most deffinitly be making it again. Since I had no idea on how to measure molasses by weight and I didn't have a scale I just guessed at the difference and used 3/4 of cup. It's worked so far and I can't wait to eat this one.Read more
recipe Shoo-Fly Pie
Susan Tucson, AZ 08-30-2009
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Wow did I think of Grandmere!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I had eaten shoo fly pie many times as a child, growing up in the swamps of Lower La. I've always loved it, but never made it... for my (Yankee) fiancee because I didn't think he would like it. Then he gently reminded me that he had grown up in Amish Country. So off to make a pie I went! This is an easy recipe if you just remember the basics about Molasses. One cup (8oz liquid) weighs in at *12 oz by weight!* So when you have a recipie that calls for 4oz of molasses, just remember that it would be 6oz. by weight & so on. If you keep that basic rule in mind, you'll get a great pie w/ nice texture. Otherwise, if you do it by liquid measurement amounts, then yes, you will get something that tastes remarkably like black licorice. I love this pie! -Susan Paramore Read more
recipe Shoo-Fly Pie
Brian Uniontown, OH 07-12-2009
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Hmm, what did I do wrong? Still the flavor is great! :)
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

First of all, the crust turned out fantastically -- but I did have a few problems with the filling and the crumbs, wondering... what I may have done wrong. I thought I followed the recipe well enough, but the filling still came out a little runny in the center, and all of the crumbs melted into the filling during the cooking process, even thought I thought I had good crumbs. And the crumbs disappeared from the top too. Texture closer to the outside of the crust turned out excellent for me. I'm wondering, maybe crumbs should be added close to end of cooking time, after filling has already somewhat set, so that they do not break down and disappear? But all in all, it was a good-tasting recipe.Read more
recipe Shoo-Fly Pie
Dikran Columbia, SC 05-15-2009
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Fantastic (if you like Molassas)
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I tried this recipe after watching the show, and can't believe how easy/good it is. The one thing I will note is that while... a lot of people love it, the strong test is a little much for many. Dikran Yacoubian Columbia, SCRead more
recipe Shoo-Fly Pie
Bill GH, WA 03-28-2009
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Is this recipe for two pies?
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

Wow, the pie is good, but did it ever overflow the pan! The recipe says to put two pie plates into the fridge for chilling,... but beyond that it never specifies two pies. All the filling fit just right into the crust, but man did it overflow! Must have doubled in size. Read more
recipe Shoo-Fly Pie
naya myerstown, PA 03-10-2009
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nice texture
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

Made this pie for Sabbath, my husband and mother-in-law loved it. I did not care for the taste of it; however, for my... husband's sake this recipe is a keeper. Thanks, Alton. Read more