Shoofly Pie

A specialty of southeastern Pennsylvania, this gooey, dark pie is an interesting combination of a rich filling made with molasses, brown sugar, butter, and a crunchy, crumbly topping. There are two theories to its origin: one says that the filling was so sweet that flies had to be shooed away as it was left to cool down, and the other theory says that it was inspired by Shoofly Molasses, a product that was popular in Pennsylvania in the 1800s when pies by that name first appeared. Regardless of its origins, shoofly pie is extremely similar to the sweet British treacle tart, made since medieval days in Europe. In Pennsylvanian Dutch country, populated by Mennonites, Moravians, and Amish, the pie was a staple dessert in the wintertime, when fruit supplies were scarce, and the expensive eggs were better off in other dishes. Shoofly pie was traditionally consumed for breakfast as a nourishing food that gave one enough energy to last until lunch-time. Today, it's almost always a dessert, a sweet treat, and a great example of regional American food.