Chatter 27 Shoofly Pie

According to the Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidsons outstanding reference book, published after 20 years work by Penguin in 1999, Shoofly Pie is believed to be of Pennsylvania Dutch origin. He says it " is a very sweet PIE (in the American sense - it would be a TART in Britain) with a filling of molasses and/or brown sugar" and "Some have thought that the name is a corruption of some German word, but the more likely explanation is simply that the exposed surface of the pie is so sweet that flies have to be shooed away from it." Wikipedia suggests the name may be derived from the word "souffle" "The equivalent confection in Britain is TREACLE TART which has a much longer history." (His upper case).
They come in various sizes from five inches up and we lashed out for US$2.50 to try the local product as we are currently in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch
country. It didn't live up to its reputation. It was sweet but not sickly sweet, nor was it particularly rich. Perhaps it was not a good example. It was not moist nor was it crunchy, furthermore there was not a fly in sight!