Shoo Fly Pie — The One I Decided to Make All by Myself

November. The daycare is already doing Thanksgiving crafts, which means paper turkeys made by tracing small hands and coloring the fingers feathers. I have a wall of them in my classroom and every morning they make me smile. Thomas made his turkey purple. He is committed to purple for everything right now. His paintings are purple. His drawings are purple. His feelings about purple are absolute and not up for discussion.

I am thinking about Thanksgiving. For the first two Thanksgivings after I aged out, I went to Gloria and James for the meal. She cooked everything: turkey, cornbread dressing, collards, sweet potato casserole, green beans, cranberry sauce, pecan pie. I helped where she let me. This year I want to contribute something real, a whole dish that is mine, not just help with the stirring.

I asked her this week on the phone what she would like me to bring. She was quiet for a moment and then she said: you decide. Which is both the most generous and the most terrifying answer she could have given. You decide. It means she trusts me. It also means I am responsible for what I bring in a way I have not been before.

I am going to make the pecan pie. I have the pecans from the yard, the ones James and I shelled in October. I have the recipe. I have never made a full pie crust myself but I have been practicing with the pot pie and the cobbler and I think I can do it. You decide. I have decided.

Gloria said “you decide,” and I decided on pie — something sticky-sweet and old-fashioned, the kind of thing that takes patience and shows up full of effort. Shoo fly pie is close kin to pecan pie in spirit: dark molasses filling, a tender crust you roll out yourself, the whole kitchen smelling like something serious is happening. If I’m going to bring something that is truly mine to that table, it is going to be this — made from scratch, every layer of it.

Shoo Fly Pie

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• For the crust:
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 3–4 tablespoons ice water
• For the crumb topping:
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• For the molasses filling:
• 1 cup full-flavored molasses (not blackstrap)
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Make the crust. Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add cold butter cubes and work them in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces remaining. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a fork, until the dough just holds together when pressed. Shape into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat and roll. Preheat oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a 12-inch circle. Carefully transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the overhanging edges under and crimp or press with a fork to seal. Return to the refrigerator while you prepare the filling and topping.
3. Make the crumb topping. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add cold butter and work it in with your fingertips until the mixture forms coarse, clumpy crumbs. Set aside.
4. Make the molasses filling. In a large liquid measuring cup or bowl, stir boiling water and baking soda together — it will foam up. Add molasses, beaten egg, and vanilla and stir until fully combined.
5. Assemble. Remove the pie shell from the refrigerator. Pour the molasses filling carefully into the crust. Scatter the crumb topping evenly over the filling, covering it completely.
6. Bake. Place on the center rack and bake 35–40 minutes, until the filling is just set with a slight jiggle in the center and the crumb topping is golden. If the crust edges darken too quickly, cover them loosely with strips of foil.
7. Cool completely. Transfer to a wire rack and allow the pie to cool fully — at least 2 hours — before slicing. The filling firms up as it cools. This pie is good at room temperature and holds well overnight, making it ideal to bake the day before Thanksgiving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 430 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 64g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 310mg