One of the recipes from our German/Pennsylvania Dutch forebears; legend has it that it’s called “shoo-fly” because the pie is so sweet, when you put it out at a picnic, all the flying insects will gather around this pie and leave the rest of the table alone. I think that’s kind of an insulting story to pass along, especially when this molasses pie, and its sibling “dry” version, are so tasty. That’s history for you.*

• Single recipe pie crust
• ¾ cup boiling water
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup molasses
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup butter
• Scant ½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; line 8-inch pan with pie crust. Put soda into bowl and pour boiling water over it; stir in molasses. Pour molasses mixture into pie pan – pan should be about half full. Mix remaining ingredients in bowl with pastry blender or fork – or process in food processor – until mix resembles small crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs in a thick layer over the top of the molasses.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the crumbs are browned.

*The baby is William Frank Lacaff, Grammy’s father, maybe 1874-1875. The young couple standing behind are Theodore Lacaff and Josephine Harner Lacaff, my great-great grandparents. Not sure who the others are, but that’s history for you.