Sometimes I need a pie and I have no fruit in the house.  What can I make? This is a simple to create pie and very popular in Pennsylvania.  The venerable shoe fly pie…. a Pennsylvania Dutch treat, sweet and crumbly in your mouth.  I took my sister Margie’s recipe that I have used for many years and substituted in my favorite gluten free crust and crumbs.  It worked great and frankly your pie eaters will never know the difference.  Whip some up and your family will be thrilled.  

Margie’s Shoe Fly Pie, GF version

Directions 

Make one GF crust; roll out and put in a 9 inch pie pan.  Do not bake.

Crust:

1 c plus 1 tbsp brown rice flour mix (see flour mix recipe)

2 tbsp sweet rice flour

1 Tbps. granulated sugar

½ tsp xanthan gum

¼ tsp salt

6 Tbps. cold butter; cut into 6 chunks

1 large egg

2 tsp fresh orange or lemon juice

Directions:

Spray 9 inch metal pie pan with cooking spray, dust with white rice flour.

Mix dry ingredients in bowl of stand electric mixer.  Add butter and mix until crumbly and resembling coarse meal.  Add egg and juice.  Mix until it comes together into big chunks.  Shape into a ball with your hands. Put it on a crust sized piece of wax paper (14 x 14 inches more or less), flatten the crust ball some; put on top of it another piece of wax paper and chill it a bit in your fridge 15-20 minutes while you make the crumbs.  You can use the same mixer bowl and beater without washing them up.

 

Brown Rice Flour Mix
2 c brown rice flour (make sure it is finely ground)

2/3 c potato starch

1/3 c tapioca flour

 

Crumb topping

1 c brown rice flour mix

½ c sugar

½ tsp xanthan gum

1/3 c cold butter cut into six chunks

Put all four ingredients in the same mixing bowl you made the bottom crust in and mix well with mixer paddle until crumbs form.

Roll out chilled pie crust between the two sheets of wax paper; try to get the thickness even, no fat middle! Peel off one side of paper and place in pie pan, try to get it centered.  Peel off other slice of wax paper.  Crimp edges all around.  I do like to use a pie crust bag; can get on Amazon or at King Arthur flour (also on line.)  It works far better than wax paper and I get a lovely even thickness of crust.

Put 1/3 of your crumbs (more or less) in the bottom of the crust.  Pour over the hot filling.  Top with the rest of the crumbs.  Don’t press them into the filling. You don’t need to use all the crumbs; up to you.  I do though!

Filling:

1/2 cup molasses

¾ cup boiling water

Scant ¼ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp baking soda    

Put all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. It will foam up when you add the baking soda.  Don’t freak out! If you like a dry bottom pie you can leave out ¼ cup of the water.  Up to you…

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes until the crumbs are light brown. Let cool an hour or two before cutting.  I like it with a big glass of milk.

Don’t forget the cinnamon, it makes the filling pop.   If the pie sinks a touch while cooling, no big deal, it will still taste fantastic.

This is an easy, tasty, gf, made from scratch pie that you can quickly make with the ingredients in your fridge and pantry.  No need to shop for fruit or other fancy filling ingredients.  You get the accolades for serving this classic without all the work of most fruit pies. Now go make a pie!