Shoofly Pie

Ingredients

• 1.25 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons ice water
• 1 cup unsulfured molasses
• ¾ cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. 1

   In a medium bowl, whisk together 1.25 cups all-purpose flour and 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt. Add 0.5 cup cold unsalted butter cubed into 0.5-inch pieces. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible — these create a flaky crust.

2. 2

   Drizzle 4 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture and gently toss with a fork until the dough just comes together. Don't overwork it — you want some visible butter streaks still remaining. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.

3. 3

   Preheat your oven to 350°F. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften slightly, then roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper to a 12-inch round. Transfer to a 9-inch pie dish, letting the excess hang over the edges, and prick the bottom with a fork to prevent puffing. Trim the edges and crimp them decoratively with your fingers.

4. 4

   In a small bowl, combine 1 cup unsulfured molasses with 0.75 cup boiling water and stir well — the molasses will seem thick at first but will loosen as you mix. The molasses is the signature ingredient that gives shoofly pie its deep, characteristic flavor.

5. 5

   Sprinkle 1 teaspoon baking soda over the molasses mixture — it will fizz and bubble as a chemical reaction occurs. Stir this in completely, then add 0.5 cup granulated sugar and stir until fully combined. The mixture should be dark and pourable.

6. 6

   Pour the molasses filling into your prepared pie crust. The filling will seem quite liquid — this is correct. It will set as it bakes but will remain gooey and rich inside.

7. 7

   Make the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 0.5 cup packed light brown sugar, and 0.25 teaspoon kosher salt. Add 0.33 cup cold unsalted butter cubed into 0.25-inch pieces. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles moist crumbs with some pea-sized clumps — these larger pieces will create a crispy, textured topping.

8. 8

   Evenly distribute the streusel over the molasses filling, covering it completely but not pressing down. The crumbs will gradually sink into the filling as it bakes while also creating a caramelized crust on top.

9. 9

   Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the streusel is golden brown and a small amount of molasses mixture just barely peeks around the edges. The filling should jiggle very slightly when you gently shake the pie — it will continue to set as it cools. If the edges of the crust are browning too quickly, tent the pie loosely with foil for the final 10 minutes.

10. 10

    Remove the pie from the oven and transfer it to a wire cooling rack. Allow it to cool completely at room temperature for at least 2-3 hours — this cooling time is essential, as shoofly pie is delicate when warm and sets to the proper consistency as it cools. Slice into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

Tools you’ll need

• medium mixing bowl
• whisk
• pastry cutter or fork
• plastic wrap
• rolling pin
• parchment paper
• 9-inch pie dish
• fork
• small mixing bowl
• wooden spoon
• wire cooling rack
• oven

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