Georgia’s Kitchen: “Shoo-Fly”

Georgia Diehm

The Amish are known for their delicious baked goodies-cakes, cookies, breads & pies. One of the pies that they are famous for is “Shoo-Fly” pie.” Here is a “Shoo-Fly” pie” recipe that Mom got from someone, although I’m sure she didn’t get it from the Amish first-hand.

I have seen Amish recipes for “Shoo-Fly” pie, which did not include chopped dates. I do not know if dates are occasionally used in Amish “Shoo-Fly” pies. Either way, it sounds like an interesting and very sweet treat!

Mama’s Shoo-Fly Pie

One unbaked 9 in pastry shell
2/3 cup molasses
1/2 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp soda
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup sifted flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter or oleo
2/3 cup boiling water

Combine molasses, boiling water, soda and vinegar; mix well and pour into date-lined pastry shell. Mix flour, sugar and salt. Cut in oleo. Sprinkle over top of molasses mixture. Bake at (425) for 10 min; reduce heat to (350) for 30 min longer.

Old-Fashioned Cream Pie

unbaked pastry
butter
sugar
flour
1 pint of cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Line a deep pie plate with unbaked pastry. Over it spread a layer of butter the thickness of a nickel. Over this spread a layer of sugar the same thickness. Next, a layer of flour also the thickness of a nickel. Pour cream flavored with vanilla & nutmeg over all. Bake in a hot oven (450) 10 min, then reduce the heat to moderate (350) & bake for 40 min or until knife inserted comes out clean. The butter bubbles up through the layer spread above it making the pie delicious confection.

Sour Milk Pie

1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup sour milk or cream
1 cup sugar
1 Tbs vinegar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
1 cup seedless raisins
1/8 tsp salt

Combine all the ingredients, stirring until thoroughly mixed. Let stand 45 min so that the raisins will absorb some of the liquid. Turn into an unbaked pie shell. Cover with another crust or not, as desired. Bake in a hot oven(450) 10 min, then reduce heat to moderate & bake 25 to 30 min. longer. Cool.
Makes 1 (7 in pie).

Rich Man’s Pie

pie crust
4 Tbs of melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
nutmeg
2 heaping Tbs flour
sweet milk

Take melted butter and spread on a pie crust. Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar, grate on a little nutmeg. Then spread on top of all 2 heaping Tbs flour. Now set pie in oven and pour over enough sweet milk to make it full enough and bake. Bake with lower crust only. Put in ingredients just as written beginning with butter and ending with milk. It will make a queer-looking pie to those who have never seen it but will taste far better than it looks.

Grape Pie

grapes, skinned
pie paste (pie crust)
2 egg whites
3 Tbs sugar, sifted

Pop the grape pulps out of skins into 1 dish & put the skins into another. Simmer the pulps over fire to soften them, remove them and rub through a colander to separate them from seeds. Then put the skins & pulps together. Fill the pie tin lined with pie paste. Bake in moderately hot oven. Cover with meringue made with 2 egg whites beaten stiff & 3 Tbs sifted sugar. Spread over top. Return to oven & bake few min until lightly colored.

Raisin Carmel Pie

1 cup raisins
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups evaporated milk
2 Tbs cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
Baked pastry shell ( 9 in)

Combine sugar, water and salt and cook down until rich brown color. Add 1 1/2 cups milk and cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Combine cornstarch, spice, remaining 1/2 cup milk and egg yolks and beat until well-blended. Add with raisins to hot milk and cook & stir until thick & cornstarch is cooked(about 3 to 4 min). Pour into baked pastry shell. Top with meringue made with 2 egg whites and brown in slow oven(300) 25 to 30 min. Cool before serving. Serves 6 to 8.