Family Resources Kid's Resources
Family Support
The Parlor Join us on our message boards for conversation, introductions, support, encouragement and chit chat. Stop by and introduce yourself Here!
Recipes
Tea
Crafts
Garden
Forums
Shoo Fly Pie & Apple Pandowdy
By Cheri Sicard
Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pandowdy, the song by Dinah Shore was one of the best selling records of 1946. Lately a new generation has been introduced to the catchy tune due to its use in a popular automobile commercial. Unlike their older music loving counterparts, most of todayÂ’s generation has never had the pleasure of eating either of these two old fashioned desserts -- despite the fact that Dinah just couldnÂ’t get enough of them.
Shoo Fly Pie is a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch dessert. Brown sugar, molasses, shortening, salt, and spices were all non-perishable ingredients that could survive the long oceanÂ’s crossing to America made by German immigrants. The pieÂ’s unusual name is said to be due to the fact that pies were traditionally set to cool on windowsills, and because of the sweet ingredients, the cook would constantly have to shoo the flies away.
Apple Pandowdy is one of a family of simple desserts, known in different parts of the world as cobblers, duffs, grunts, slumps and pandowdies. While these desserts have subtle variations, the base of all of them is fruit baked with a sweet biscuit or cake top.
The exact origin of the name Pandowdy is unknown, but it is thought to refer to the dessertÂ’s plain or "dowdy" appearance. Looks can be deceiving, apple pandowdy is delicious, especially topped with a bit of ice cream or whipped cream.
Both these desserts are super easy to make, yet win rave reviews from diners. Try some tonight. Your dinner guests just wonÂ’t be able to get enough of that wonderful stuff!
Shoo Fly Pie
Crumb topping is a bit of misnomer as the crumbs will be absorbed into the liquid bottom layer. DonÂ’t worry of it looks strange going into the oven, it will all firm up as it bakes. You can make this pie using a full cup of molasses instead of the molasses/corn syrup mixture, but I find the flavor to be a little stronger than my liking, which is why I recommend the mixture.
1 unbaked 9" pie crust
Crumb Topping:
1 C flour
1/2 C light brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/3 C butter
Liquid Bottom:
1 C boiling water
1/2 C light molasses
1/2 C dark corn syrup
1 tsp. baking soda
1 egg, beaten
Serves 8
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Mix the crumb topping ingredients together with a pastry blender until well mixed and mixture resemble fine crumbs. Set aside.
Mix molasses and corn syrup, add boiling water and stir to mix. Add baking soda and beaten egg and mix well. Spoon into an unbaked piecrust. Spoon the crumb topping mixture over the top. Place pie on a foiled covered baking sheet (trust me, if pi shell overflows you donÂ’t want burning sugar syrup all over your oven) and bake for about 40 minutes or until pie is medium set and dark brown. Serve warm or chilled.
Apple Pandowdy
Topping
1 ¼ C butter
2/3 C sugar
1 egg
1 C milk
2 ½ C flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 C peeled, sliced apples
1/3 C brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
whipped cream or ice cream for garnish
Serves 8
Combine flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F.
Butter a 9" square baking dish. Place sliced apples in buttered baking dish and sprinkle with a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in egg. Add flour mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture to make a stiff batter. Spread batter evenly over apples and bake for about 50 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for at least ten minutes before serving. You can serve it right out of the pan, or invert it onto a serving plate like an upside-down cake, warm or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream or ice cream.
Cheri Sicard is the author
of "The Great American Handbook: What You Can Do For Your Country Today
and Every Day," and the editor of FabulousFoods.com,
a favorite net destination for recipes, cooking tutorials, health and
fitness information, holiday and entertaining ideas, celebrity chef
interviews, cookbook reviews and more. Sign up for their free cooking
and recipe newsletters!
SeptemberLady "Born and have lived in Southern MD most of my life. My husband and I just finished building a new home on the family farm, where I hope to retire in the near future.
My interests: Doll collecting, cookbook collector (especially old ones), antiques, family/friend get-togethers, cooking/baking, flower and vegetable gardening, bird-watching."
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling Memorial Day signals the start of barbecue season. Everyone wants to light that fire and charcoal that first meal. A few tips might pre- vent your entree from becoming a "Burnt Offering."
Read these tips for plenty of grilling ideas, make this year's barbecue perfect!
Growing and Using Garlic Chives Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, is a hardy perennial (Zones 3-9) that will grow to about 12 inches high. The stems are skinnier and flat, instead of hollow as are regular chives, with greenish white blooms that are about an inch wide and not as rounded. They bloom in the summer rather than spring. The bloom stalks grow much taller than the leaves, sometimes up to 30 inches.
The stems and blooms are both edible and have a mild garlic onion taste. I've noticed many writers will list this as primarily as an Asian herb, as they are also known as Chinese chives, Chinese leeks, ku chai (China) or Nira (Japan), but it has many other uses as well!
The Perfect Porch Swing Perhaps it is the soothing rhythm or the reassuring creak of the porch swing that attracts us. Perhaps it is the companionable silence or quiet conversation. Or maybe swings simply remind us of more genteel times.
Although porch swings can be purchased in a wide range of materials, the most common are wicker and wood. You can also make your own porch swing from one of the myriad of woodworking patterns available at garden centers, hardware stores, or on the Internet.
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling
Growing and Using Garlic Chives
The Perfect Porch Swing