Makes 1 (9-inch) pie
“Shoo fly, don’t bother me.” It’s almost impossible to hear the phrase shoofly pie and not sing this song in your head. This Pennsylvania Dutch pie, which also became traditional in the South, is a basic pantry pie. Rather than using luscious seasonal fruit, this pie makes do with what’s left when the cupboard is nearly bare and you want something sweet to eat. The dark taste of molasses and the tumble of flour and sugar on top of the filling are so appealing that the flies are said to draw too near. Shoo away, fly. This pie is mine.
Prepare to bake. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Roll out the dough, press it into a 9-inch pie pan, and crimp the edges. Put the pie pan in the freezer as you make the filling.
Make the filling. In a bowl, whisk together the flour blend and sugar. Add the coconut oil and mix until the oil is fully integrated into the flour. Set aside ½ cup of the mixture.
Add the molasses, egg, and baking soda to the flour and sugar mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until well combined. Pour in the boiling water and stir until everything is thoroughly mixed.
Bake the pie. Pour the filling into the prepared pie pan. Scatter the reserved flour mixture evenly over the top of the filling. Put the pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet and put it in the oven. Bake the pie for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 375°F and bake until the crust is golden brown and the center of the pie is mostly set but still a tiny bit jiggly, 18 to 20 minutes.
Allow the pie to cool on the counter until it comes to room temperature. Serve.