Pennsylvania Dutch Wet Bottom Shoo-Fly Pie Recipe
Since 1683, the Pennsylvania Dutch have been serving hearty old-country cuisine to their friends and family in Pennsylvania. Their simple, wholesome recipes were passed down through the generations and still appear on tables today.
Chicken pot pie, rivel soup, dandelion with hot bacon dressing, pork and sauerkraut, corn and oyster pie, wiener schnitzel, and potato filling are just a few of these classic recipes.
The pie was a staple in the early Pennsylvania Dutch diet, and customarily, it was served with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No matter what day of the week or season it was, every kitchen had a pie or two in its cupboard.
When friends stopped to visit, they could count on their host serving an appetizer of cheese and ring bologna followed by a dessert of fresh pie and coffee.
The most popular Pennsylvania Dutch pies were fruit and custard pies and also drizzle pies, milk pies, and shoo-fly pies.
This wet bottom shoo-fly pie recipe is our family’s trusty favorite. Serve it with coffee, and you will understand why!
Wet Bottom Shoo-Fly Pie
From the Kitchen of Jennie Miller Yeisley, 1897 – 1977
Pie Crust
- 2 cups flour
- 2 pinches salt
- ¾ cup shortening
- ¼ cup cold water
Molasses Mixture
- ¾ cup molasses
- ¾ cup boiling water
- 1 tsp baking soda
Crumb Mixture
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ½ cup shortening
- ½ cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350°.
To make the pie crust, sift together the flour and salt. With a pastry blender, blend in the shortening until it is evenly distributed throughout the flour. While mixing the dough with your hands, gradually add the cold water a few tablespoons at a time. Add just enough water to form the dough into a ball. This should be one or two tablespoons short of the ¼ cup of water.
Roll the dough between two sheets of waxed paper. Carefully transfer the dough to a pie plate. Trim and flute the edges of the pie crust. Set this pie crust aside until ready for filling.
In a medium bowl, stir the molasses (We use Brer Rabbit “full flavor” molasses with the green and yellow label), water, and baking soda until well blended. It should bubble slightly.
In a separate medium bowl, sift together the flour and sugar. Add the shortening and blend with a pastry blender to form a crumb mixture.
Pour half of the liquid mixture into the unbaked pie crust. Cover the liquid evenly with the crumb mixture. Drizzle the remaining molasses mixture over the crumbs. Bake at 350° for one hour until golden brown and set in the center.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Wet bottom shoo-fly pie is served cold or at room temperature.
