On the Road to Berks County, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia
If you want something that is really representative of this area, don’t forget to have a Birch Beer (I did) and a slice of Shoofly Pie!
A trip back home to Pennsylvania would not be complete without a visit to my old stomping grounds in Chestnut Hill where I went to high school. The cobblestone roads and cute little shops haven’t changed much over the years. One of my favorites was always the Chestnut Hill Cheese Shop.
We ended the day with a drive into Philadelphia and a walk on South Street. It is always colorful there (in many ways!). I used to watch the Rocky Horror Picture Show at TLA Cinema on South Street when I was in high school (oh my, that was a long time ago…). Dinner at an Italian restaurant was the perfect way to end the day.
If you want to experience a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch dish at home, then you’ll enjoy this recipe for Shoofly Pie from my aunt’s mother, Helen.
Enjoy your week!
Helen's Shoofly Pie
A traditional Pennsylvania Dutch dessert.
Ingredients:
For crust:
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Crisco
1/2 teaspoon
5 tablespoons ice water
For filling:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup hot water
1 cup dark molasses
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
For crust:
Mix flour, Crisco and salt together in a medium bowl with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water until mixture comes together to form a ball. Wrap in Saran Wrap and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to make for easier handling.
When ready, roll out dough and put into a 9-inch pie plate.
For filling:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Combine flour, light brown sugar, butter and salt in a medium bowl and with a pastry blender, mix until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Take 1/2 of that mixture and set aside.
Dissolve baking soda in 1/4 cup of the hot water in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. Fold in 1/2 of the crumb mixture. Pour this mixture into the prepared pie shell and then top with the other 1/2 mixture of the crumb topping.
Bake pie for 10 minutes and then reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake for approximately another 20-25 minutes until the crust is lightly browned and the filling is set.
Spectacular pictures, Gwen! Loved this post!
I remember when I was a little girl growing up in West Virginia, my Mom fell in love with all things Pennsylvania Dutch when we drove through that part of the country. She bought a little cookbook, and tried a lot of the recipes, and took up tole painting, and sketched a lot of covered bridges. Sweet memories!
My aunt and uncle-in-law live in PA and we love visiting there just for what your pictures show (and seeing them, of course). It’s an amazing part of the country and the Amish presence makes it even better.
LOVE the photos – I especially the farm…earth in the front, trees in the background. The old stone houses are spectacular.
I live in Philadelphia now, but grew up in Amish Country!
What a joy it was to see these photos 🙂
rocky horror? Gwen, you surprise me! … burnt toast and all?
now I do love a good shoefly and nothing better I would think than one from the PA Dutch country…
beautiful place Gwen – The Prof’s parents took a trip to that part of the country about 8 years ago and fell in love . . . now i see why!
I’ve never had Shoofly Pie but sure do want to taste it ASAP!
OMG Gwen, I grew up in Plymouth Pa! Bucks county is beautiful!!! The hills just breathtaking as I remember them. My Aunt and Mom loved to take Saturday road trips to Amish country. Had to buy a shoe fly pie and home made ice cream on the way home!
I can’t believe Chestnut Hill still has those cobblestone roads. My best friend’s grandma live there.
Best of all, “I used to watch the Rocky Horror Picture Show at TLA Cinema on South Street when I was in high school…” I did that too!!! The show ran there for years. I remember the midnight crowd waiting outside totally dressed to perform. Let’s do the time warp again… What a blast 🙂
I was the South Philly designated driver for the ladies of the family Italian shopping days. I can still smell the wonderful markets. My cousin and I would skip afternoon classes and go down to the market for lunch. Mom always enjoyed the cheese and other fine Italian foods I would bring home. It’s no wonder she covered for me when I skipped!
Thank you very much for the beautiful photos, they are truly a walk down memory lane!
Wonderful Gwen. Love your trips and explorations!! Love these posts!! I need to get to Philly soon!! Berks County is so serene and beautiful!
Many moons ago I visited Amish country with my boyfriend at the time. I loved the beauty of the countryside and remember having a family style dinner and later being detoured off the interstate because of a nuclear meltdown near Allentown! Talk about contrasts. Thanks for sharing Helen’s recipe for Shoofly pie – recipes handed down through the generations are always the best!
Hey Gwen, nice post showcasing our beautiful city and region. Thanks for sharing the local eats and fun places. I enjoyed meeting you and your family when you stopped in the spice shop up in Chestnut Hill. I like your blog. Shoofly Pie for everyone!!