Shoofly pie — a molasses tart
The reference quantity makes one whole pie to share. A molasses tart topped with a spiced crumble, with a soft filling beneath a crisp surface.
Active time45 min
Cooking1 h
Total2 h 30 minResting : 45 min
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Ingredients
- 115 g butter
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- three quarters of a cup of water
- 180 g wheat flour
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 ready-rolled pie pastry
- 100 g brown sugar
- ½ tsp food-grade bicarbonate of soda
- three quarters of a cup of unsulphured light molasses
Preparation
Place the unbaked pastry case in a 23 centimetre tart tin. Do not prick the pastry or use a perforated tin, as the filling is liquid. Repair any holes or tears and shape the edge.
1 ready-rolled pie pastry- 23 centimetre tart tin
Put the pastry case in the freezer for 15 minutes, or in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Line the cold pastry case with baking paper or a paper coffee filter large enough to cover all the pastry, right up to the edges. Fill with baking weights to hold the paper and pastry in place.
- oven
- baking paper or paper coffee filter
- baking weights
Partially bake the pastry case for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove it from the oven, remove the weights and discard the paper.
- oven
While the pastry bakes, dice the cold butter, then rub it into the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to make a crumbly mixture. Once the pastry has finished its initial bake, increase the oven temperature to 230 degrees Celsius.
115 g butter1 tsp ground cinnamon180 g wheat flour½ tsp ground nutmeg100 g brown sugar- oven
- mixing bowl
- mixing utensil
Spread at least a quarter of the uncooked crumble over the partially baked pastry base.
Bring the water to a boil. Mix the boiling water and molasses in a large heatproof container.
three quarters of a cup of waterthree quarters of a cup of unsulphured light molasses- large heatproof container
- spoon
- small saucepan
Quickly stir in the bicarbonate of soda, then immediately pour the mixture over the crumble in the pastry case.
½ tsp food-grade bicarbonate of soda- spoon
Scatter the remaining crumble over the filling and level it if necessary. Protect the pastry edges with a pie crust shield or aluminium foil.
- pie crust shield or aluminium foil
Move the tart carefully: its scalding liquid filling may spill over. If desired, place a baking tray beneath the tin to catch any drips. Bake for 15 minutes at 230 degrees Celsius.
- oven
- baking tray, optional
Reduce the oven temperature to 175 degrees Celsius and continue baking for 20 minutes. The filling should be set and no longer wobble when the tart is removed from the oven.
- oven
Leave to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing so that the filling holds its shape.
Allergens
- Gluten
- Milk
Sources and credits
Photo: Au Menu — created with ImageGen at Roch’s request · Editorial permission from Roch for Au Menu; OpenAI terms
Au Menu · AI-generated illustration
Recipe translated and adapted from Wikibooks and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Adaptation éditoriale : Correction demandée par Roch le 2 novembre 2026 : préparation explicite et cuisine simple. Relecture IA, sans essai en cuisine.
Estimated times.