Lela Beachy on Shoofly Pies

Lela said her mother baked hundreds of Shoofly Pies to sell. With that kind of background Lela must know what she is talking about. Even if she said "I wouldn't walk across the street for a Shoofly Pie." Below is a letter I received from Lela that I will share with you. Thanks Lela for sharing your knowledge about this pie.

Hi Glen,
I reduced a recipe for your size to make it like a cake. Let me know how you like it. It is o.k. to say you don't like it if you don't. This is a good with coffee, and the golden barrel molasses makes a better flavor. It is milder.

Small Recipe
1/2 cup Molasses- golden barrel
1/2 teasp. soda
Pour 2/3 hot water over this and stir
In bowl mix:
2/3 cups brown sugar
1 beaten egg
1/3 teas. vanilla
scant 1/4 teas. salt
Add to the molasses mixture.
Set aside

Crumbs:
1 1/3 cup flour
1/3 teas. soda
1/4 teas. cream of tarter
1/4 cup lard
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 teas. cinnamon
scant 1/8 teas.salt

Rub until it is blended into crumbs.
Mix 1/2 cup of the crumbs into the
liquid mixture and pour liquid into
a cake pan, 8X8 or similar size.
Spread crumbs on top and bake at 350 till done, probably 25 min. (325 if you use glass or granite pans. I use foil on the outside of glass or granite, and it bakes really nice and does not get so brown, and then you can bake at 350.

Following is the recipe for four 8" pies.

Wet Bottom Shoo Fly Pie
1 1/2 cup Molasses- (Golden Barrel)
1 1/2 teas soda
Pour 2 hot water over this and stir.
In bowl mix:
2 cups brown sugar
3 beaten eggs
1 teas. vanilla
1/2 teas. salt.
Add to molasses mixture. Set aside.

Crumbs:
4 cups bread flour
1 teas. soda
3/4 teas. cream of tarter
3/4 cup lard
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teas. cinnamon
1/2 teas. salt
Makes enough for four 8" pies.