[Sca-cooks] various small notes (and shoofly pie!)

[Pixel, Queen of Cats]

On Mon, 27 Aug 2001, Mark.S Harris wrote:

> Margaret FitzWilliam answered my questions with:
> > Hmmm. I didn't actually read the recipe very carefully, obviously. ;-)
>
> I was hoping you'd just left out an ingredient in copying it.

I think I just did a cut-and-paste. Hmmm. [Checks source.] Nope, the
mistake is in the original. They left out the baking soda, which should be
about 1 or 1 1/2 tsp and gets combined with the boiling water, molasses,
and salt.

>
> > Keep in mind this is *not* my grandmother's recipe (which, incidentally, I
> > have now found, during a rather drastic sort-and-toss session over the
> > weekend. yay!). I would combine the first three ingredients, then the next
> > three, and then layer them in the pie crust. That's what I remember from
> > when I have made shoofly pie.
>
> Yes, using only the ingredients listed, that is probably how I would try
> to salvage things. I still wonder what that other ingredient is (was)
> though.

Baking soda, as per above.
>
> And your grandmother's recipe is?

Going to be typed in tomorrow, when I bring in the recipe card. ;-)

And I may have to bake tonight. ;-)

>
> > And Stefan, unless you can find a sugar-free molasses, you're probably out
> > of luck. Unless there is a Splenda with molasses flavor, but then you'd
> > have to try it to see if you get the same consistency, which is kind of
> > gelatinous but also kind of not.
>
> Yep, figured that was the case. That was more of a mournful whine than
> anything else.
>
> I was also wondering, and forgot to mention in my first message, what it
> would be like to substitute Maple Syrup for the molasses in this pie,
> other than much more expensive. :-)

Very mapley-tasting, and I'm not sure if it would work the same way--an
equal volume of maple syrup has a higher water content than
molasses. Although if you try it, let us know. ;-)

I did find a recipe for a maple syrup pie which is

1 1/2 c maple syrup
1 c cream
1/4 c cornstarch
1/4 c cold water
pre-baked pie shell.

Combine syrup and cream, blend cornstarch and water. Bring to a boil on
med. heat, stirring constantly, boil for 2 minutes or until
thickened. Pour into pie shell, cool until set.

Not really shoofly pie at all, though.


Margaret FitzWilliam