Go to the Oven & Make Some Ever Lovin'

So I was thinking about our song Shoo Fly Pie... what is Shoo Fly Pie and is it really as good as we make it out to be? I decided to Google it and get a feel for its alleged deliciousness. It actually looks quite scrumptious, and I think you should give the recipe a try. Let us know if it really does make "your eyes light up."

Shoo Fly Pie

INGREDIENTS

Crust:

· 6 ounces all-purpose flour

· 1/2 teaspoon table salt

· 3 ounces unsalted butter, chilled

· 1-ounce lard, chilled

· 4 tablespoons ice water, in spritz bottle

· Approximately 32 ounces dried beans, blind baking

Crumbs:

· 5 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour

· 4 ounces dark brown sugar

· 2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter

· 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling:

· 3/4 cup boiling water

· 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

· 8 ounces molasses, by weight

· 1 whole egg, beaten

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the crust:

Directions

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt by pulsing 3 to 4 times. Add butter and pulse 5 to 6 times until texture looks mealy. Add lard and pulse another 3 to 4 times. Remove lid of food processor and spritz surface of mixture thoroughly with water. Replace lid and pulse 5 times. Add more water and pulse again until mixture holds together when squeezed. Place mixture in large resealable bag, squeeze together until it forms a ball, and then press into a rounded disk and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place 2 (9-inch) metal pie pans in the refrigerator to chill. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out in the bag until it reaches the edges of the bag and is 10 to 11-inches round. Cut along 2 sides of the plastic bag, open bag to expose dough on 1 side and turn a 9-inch pie pan upside down on the exposed side. Invert the entire thing and gently pull the remaining side of the plastic bag off the dough. Press the dough into the edges around the pan and trim any excess dough. Press the edges of the dough over the lip of the pan. Place in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Poke holes around sides and into the bottom of the dough. Place a large piece of parchment paper on top of dough and fill with dry beans. Press beans into edges of dough, set on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove parchment and beans and continue baking until light golden in color, approximately 7 minutes longer. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Allow to cool completely while preparing the filling.

Decrease heat of oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crumbs:

Place the flour, brown sugar, butter and salt into the bowl of a food processor and process until it forms crumbs. Reserve 1/4 cup and set both aside.

For the filling:

Place the baking soda in a medium mixing bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla; whisk to combine. Add the larger amount of crumbs to the molasses mixture and whisk just to combine. Pour this mixture into the prepared crust. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of crumb mixture evenly over the top of the filling. Place pie on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the filling puffs, begins to look dry and starts to crack slightly. Remove from the oven, transfer to a rack, and cool completely before cutting.

We also sing about Apple Pan Dowdy, so here is a lovely recipe for that as well:

Apple Pan Dowdy

INGREDIENTS

· 4 apples, Granny Smith, peeled, cored and sliced

· 1 lemon, juiced

· 2 teaspoons cornstarch

· Pinch salt

· 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar or maple syrup

· 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

· 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

· 1/4 cup orange

liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)

· Basic Sweet Pie Crust, recipe follows

· Whipped cream, for serving

· Caramel ice cream, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl combine the apples with the lemon juice,cornstarch, and salt and toss to combine. Add 1/2 cup sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon and stir well. Toss with the orange liqueur. Transfer to a heated, large skillet.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the pie crust to a thickness of 1/8-inch and transfer to the top of the fruit mixture. Trim the edges flush with the edges of the skillet. Using the tip of a sharp knife, cut several steam vents in the top of the pie crust. Bake the pandowdyuncovered for 30 minutes.

Remove the pandowdy from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Use the edge of a metal spatula to cut the crust into 1-inch squares, then press the crust down into the filling. Return the pandowdy to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes longer. Let cool 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Serve the pandowdy warm, with a dollop of whipped cream and a scoop of caramel ice cream.

Basic Sweet Pie Crust:

8 ounces all purpose flour, about 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick (1/4 pound) cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening

3 tablespoons ice water

Sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a large bowl. Using your fingers, work in the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and work with your fingers until the water is incorporated and the dough comes together. Add more water as needed to make a smooth dough, being careful not to over mix. Form the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

Enjoy! Maybe you can bring some to class share...