September 27, 2018

Chocolate Shoofly Pie

posted by Julie in Desserts, Freezer Friendly, Pies, Recipes

With a gooey dark molasses bottom and a buttery crumb topping, this wet-bottom chocolate Shoofly Pie is a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition with an updated chocolate twist.  Simple and sweet, it’s best served room temperature or slightly warm with a big dollop of whipped cream.

one slice of wet bottom chocolate shoofly pie cut from the pie and served on a gray dessert plate

Whew! We’re coming down to the deadline with this month’s Pie of the Month.

I was doing so well for a while, always having my pies made 2-3 months in advance.  And then… well, and then we had another baby.  And I went back to work.  So now we’re back to just making it by the skin of my teeth.

It also doesn’t help when I have to remake a pie multiple times in order to get it right.  But hey!  That’s what I’m here for — to do all the recipe testing multiple times to make sure your pie comes out perfect on the first try.

whole uncut chocolate shoofly pie with homemade pie crust on a paisley kitchen dishtowel

This month I decided to do something a little bit different: in a sea of apple and pumpkin and pecan pies, I’m sharing my favorite “fall” pie: shoofly pie.  Which really isn’t a seasonal pie at all, but the spiced molasses flavor always makes me think of cooler weather, and thus: it’s a fall pie.

This isn’t just any old shoofly pie, either.  It’s a chocolate shoofly pie.  Not a fan of chocolate?  Want the original, authentic version?  Leave it out!  If you’re looking for a little extra decadence and flavor, however, chocolate is a perfect addition.

But first off, let’s talk the basics.  What the heck is shoofly pie?  Where did it come from?  Have you ever heard of it before?

a cut slice of chocolate shoofly pie showing the chocolatey pie bottom and crunchy crumb topping

What is Shoofly Pie?

Shoofly pie is a Pennsylvania Dutch staple.  It’s like the Central Pennsylvania equivalent to a southern pecan pie: every Amish bakery has one, and everyone thinks their version is the best.  Dark molasses is the star of shoofly pie, baked in a pie crust and topped with a crumbly streusel-like topping.

As the name might imply, shoofly pie is so good, flies are drawn right to the sweet, sugary pie.

a slice of shoofly pie with the wet bottom molasses layer seeping along the side of the crust

Shoofly Pie Varieties: Wet Bottom and Dry Bottom

Shoofly pie comes in two varieties: wet bottom or dry bottom.  A dry bottom shoofly pie is almost more like a cake baked into the pie crust.  The crumb topping bakes into the molasses, leaving a coffee cake-like filling.  These pies are thick and may not have any crumb coating remaining on the top, since it all bakes in.

The wet bottom version has a gooey, molassey bottom layer, with a distinct crumb layer on top.  These pies tend to be thinner, since the crumb coating stays piled on the top.  With no flour mixing into the molasses layer, the “wet” bottom relies on the egg to set and is more like a thinner layer of custard than a cake.

The shoofly pie I distinctly remember from my childhood is the wet bottom version.  Gooey, almost fudgy, with a mile high pile of crumb coating.  And yet my first attempt at making shoofly pie was the opposite: a dry bottom version.

For my first attempt at shoofly pie, I poured in the molasses layer, added the crumb topping, and baked.  The topping sunk into the molasses layer.  The flavor was spot on, but what happened to that gorgeous pile of crumbs on top?  This wasn’t the shoofly pie I remembered!

For the second take, I baked the pie for the first 15 minutes without the topping, then added the crumbs on top.  Better, but still not there.  This gave me the wet bottom texture, but the layer was very thin and there were (dare I say) too many crumbs on top.

overhead view of a single slice of chocolate wet bottom shoofly pie on a dessert plate

How to Make Wet Bottom Shoofly Pie

Like Goldilocks, I had a feeling the third time would be just right. It’s a little unconventional compared to many other recipes, but the extra step is well worth it for the perfect combination of gooey molasses layer, slightly cakey middle, and crumbly top.

The molasses layer is a piece of cake: simply whisk together the molasses, boiling water, baking soda, egg, and a tiny pinch of salt.  Pour this into your pie crust.

For the crumb layer, mix together flour, brown sugar, melted butter, and some spices.  Layer half of this mixture on top of the pie and pop it into the oven for 15 minutes.  Put the rest of this crumb mixture into the freezer to firm up.  After 15 minutes in the oven, remove the pie, add the now-chilled crumb mixture on top, and bake for an additional 25 minutes.

The end result?  A thick, gooey, custard-like molasses-y bottom with a deliciously golden, buttery crumb topping.  A true authentic Pennsylvania Dutch shoofly pie recipe.

Want to make the chocolate version?  Sprinkle 3/4 cup of chopped chocolate on the bottom of the pie crust before pouring in the molasses filling.  Add in in, leave it out — the choice is yours.  Either way, if you love molasses, you’re sure to love this shoofly pie, even if you’re thousands of miles away from central Pennsylvania.

a slice of wet bottom chocolate shoofly pie with a fork holding up a bite exposing the chocolate and molasses bottom layer

More Pie Recipes:

Print Recipe
Yield: Serves 8

Chocolate Shoofly Pie

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

With a gooey dark molasses bottom and a buttery crumb topping, this wet-bottom chocolate Shoofly Pie is a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 recipe no fail pie crust
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup boiling water
  • 3/4 cup molasses
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup chopped semi-sweet or dark chocolate (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 °F.  Place a baking sheet in the oven to heat.
  2. Prepare the pie crust.  Place in a pie dish and flute edges.  Refrigerate crust until filling is ready.
  3. To make the crumble topping, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.  Slowly pour in the melted butter, continuing to stir.  The mixture will form a big clump, break this up with your fingers until the mixture has a sandy texture.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the boiling water and molasses until smooth and well combined.  Stir in the baking soda and egg, along with an additional small pinch of salt.
  5. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate (optional) along the bottom of the crust.  Pour the molasses mixture into the crust and sprinkle half the crumb mixture on top of the pie.  Place the rest of the crumb mixture in the freezer.  Bake the pie for 15 minutes.
  6. After 15 minutes, remove the pie from the oven.  Top with the remaining now chilled crumb mixture, sprinkling it evenly over the top of the pie.  Return the pie to the oven, reduce the temperature to 350 °F, and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, until the pie is just set.  Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Pie can be made ahead and frozen, either as a whole pie or individual slices.  After baking and cooling, wrap the entire pie with plastic wrap, followed by two layers of foil and freeze for up to 3 months.  Thaw overnight at room temperature.  For an individual slice, freeze slice on a cookie sheet until fully frozen, then wrap in foil and store in an air-tight freezer bag.

Chocolate Shoofly Pie: a traditional wet-bottomed Pennsylvania Dutch shoofly pie, updated with a little chocolate in the filling. #bunsenburnerbakery #shooflypie #molasses #crumbpie

posted in Desserts, Freezer Friendly, Pies, Recipes
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