Shoo-fly pie: "a rich pie of Pennsylvania Dutch origin made of molasses or brown sugar sprinkled with a crumbly mixture of flour, sugar, and butter," so says the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Makes your teeth curl and your fat cells expand just looking at the definition of this pie, but that's the way we like things here in Lancaster county: overpoweringly rich and about as sweet as you can stand it.
The shoo-fly pie (or shoofly or shoo fly, as the case may be) finds itself on many a dessert table in the PA Dutch county of Lancaster. In fact, it's one of the first things many people think of when reflecting on Amish food and baking, and its fame and renown have spread far and wide, drawing many a hapless soul to come and partake of its richness.
Pie Recipe
So what, exactly, is this shoo fly pie and how in the (insert expletive or descriptive phrase here) did it get its unusual name?
The shoo fly pie (hereafter referred to as SFP) is really nothing more than a coffee cake-type concoction with a gooey molasses bottom. (As a father of two small boys I am very familiar with other types of gooey bottoms, but such comparisons are not appropriate at this juncture) At any rate, the composition of the SFP is actually quite simple. It supposedly originated from the colonial period when creative cooks made treats from staple ingredients left in their pantries after a long hard winter: flour, brown sugar, molasses, lard, salt, and spices. Over the years, long hard winters were no longer a threat to the food supply, but SFP's and other baked goods continue to threaten the girths of many good folks in Lancaster County and abroad.
The Pennsylvania Dutch people (aka the Amish) generally claim naming rights to the SFP. The naming of the pie itself most likely stems from the plain folk, but the ingredients really do not. Although the term shoo-fly pie was not recorded in print until 1926, sugar filled pastries date back the Ancient Middle East when roaming nomads found that they were easy to pack into their camel sacks and didn't spoil under the blistering desert sun. (OK, I made the last part of that sentence up, but that's what journalism's all about isn't it?) Sweat treacle pies were popular in Medieval Europe, where cooks who doubled as economists substituted molasses for treacle. These creative cooking skills were passed from generation to generation and continue to thrive among the Amish, who stress hard work and simple living off the land.
Although debate remains, most historians, scholars, and bearded Amish men generally agree that the unusual name came from the fact that the sweet, gooey molasses mixture would have attracted flies as the pies cooled outside. I know you were expecting something more dramatic and earth shattering than that, but most folks throughout the ages have not been known for their creativity. The possibility does exist that "shoo fly" is simply an alteration of words from another language. Two possibilities are considered: 1) the name comes from an unidentified German word (UGW), or 2) the top of the crumb pies somewhat resemble a cauliflower, (remember, people were bored back in the day) which is "cheux-fleur" in French.
When you come to Lancaster County, by all means take some time to visit a local bakery or restaurant and sample an SFP. Most such shops will carry them. There are tons (literally) of cooks books that will tell you how to concoct your own creation, but rest assured that your attempts will pale when compared to the baking of the experienced Amish folk. You can find these books at most Lancaster County shops or buy them online from many different websites.
Bear in mind that there are several variations of the traditional SFP. Some (and these are favored more by the folks of the Lehigh County area) have the molasses spread throughout the pie or in shallow layers, making the pie more dry - hence the name "dry bottom" pies. These pies beg to be consumed with milk or coffee lest the palate become totally devoid of moisture. Most of the pies in Lancaster County have a gooey "wet" layer of molasses and sugar on the bottom. This is the almighty "wet bottom" pie, and is by far my personal preference. There is also the chocolate shoo fly pie, which has a (hopefully very thick) layer of chocolate icing on top. These things will literally rot your teeth right out of your mouth, but at least you'll be having fun while they're leaving. Teeth are over-rated anyway.
You may be interested in knowing that the Rockvale Square Outlet shopping mall hosts an occasional SFP bake-off and eating contest. You can find details on these contests as well as pictures, winners, and recipes, on the web.
If you can't drive to Lancaster County or don't plan to visit anytime soon, there are several online sources that offer SFP's for sale. You can find links to some of them in my signature box.
Whether you come to Lancaster and try one of our homemade pies, or you're brave enough to attempt making one yourself, I'm sure you're efforts will be rewarded. Just remember to brush your teeth and do a few push ups when you've finished eating.
Shoo-Fly Pie Clayton Stoltzfus was born and raised in Lancaster County, PA and has lived there all his life.
He is the webmaster for several Amish-related cuisine sites: