This recipe was clipped from a newspaper and found in a large collection, date unknown. I’ve typed it below along with a scanned copy.

THIS RECIPE FOR Shoo Fly Pie is Pennsylvania Dutch down to the pretzel crust. The early Pennsylvania Dutch settlers brought the pretzel with them from the old country.

Shoo Fly Pie

One and one-fourth cups fine pretzel crumbs
One-fourth cup granulated sugar
One-half cup butter or margarine
One and one-half cups all-purpose flour
One-half cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
Two-thirds cup boiling water
One-half tsp. baking soda
One-half cup unsulphured molasses
One egg, beaten

Combine pretzel crumbs and granulated sugar with one-fourth cup of the butter that has been softened, until well blended. Press on bottom and sides of greased 9-inch pie plate.

Blend flour and brown sugar; cut in remaining butter until mixture resembles corn meal. Pour water over baking soda; beat in molasses; then the egg. Reserve three-fourths cup of flour mixture; into remainder of flour mixture stir molasses mixture until just blended. Do not beat. Pour into pie crust; sprinkle with reserved flour mixture.

Immediately bake in preheated 375-degree oven 25 to 30 minutes, or until done. Serve warm or cooled with ice cream, if desired.