Shoofly pie is often thought of as the cake baked in a pie shell, or so wrote Jean Hewitt, The New York Times food writer who offered this recipe in the paper in 1965. This pie was served at a Pennsylvania Dutch luncheon hosted by the International Cuisine Group of the College Woman's Club of Westfield, N.J., in the spring of that year. One of the organizers dug up the recipe from her mother's "Housekeeper's Scrap Book, 1896." There were four versions of the pie in the book; this was the one marked: "We like this one better."

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Step 2

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Step 3

Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.