ORIGINAL SHOOFLY PIE

The name of this iconic dessert comes from the Shoofly Molasses Co., whose product was originally used in the pie, Greg Patent writes in ‘‘A Baker’s Odyssey.’’ He quotes food historian Don Yoder, who explained that the pie was invented for the U.S. Centennial in 1876, ‘‘and Pennsylvania Dutch cookbooks from the 1870s and 1880s call it Centennial Cake.’’

1/2 recipe basic pie dough, see recipe

Topping:

1 stick (1/2 cup) cold, salted butter, cut into tablespoons

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated preferred

Filling:

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup each: warm coffee, unsulphured molasses

For pie crust, place dough between two squares of waxed paper; tap gently on the dough with a rolling pin to soften it slightly. Roll dough to a 12- to 13-inch circle, rolling from the center outward; flip the crust occasionally, readjusting the waxed paper when necessary as creases develop. Remove the top sheet; invert the dough and center it into a 9-inch pie plate. Carefully peel off the remaining layer of waxed paper; nudge the edges of the dough into the pan, without stretching, so the crust fits snugly into the bottom and up the sides. Trim the excess pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold the edge of the pastry back onto itself to make a double thickness all around; turn it upright to make a high-standing rim on the edge of the pie plate. Flute the edges, pinching the dough at 1/2-inch intervals. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Place oven rack in the lower third of the oven; heat oven to 425 degrees. For topping, put the butter, flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in the food processor; process until mixture resembles fine crumbs, about 15-30 seconds. Set aside.

For filling, dissolve the baking soda in the warm coffee in a small bowl. Add the molasses, stirring until it is completely mixed in and the top layer of the liquid is lighter in color and very bubbly, 1-2 minutes. Pour filling into the unbaked pie shell. Gradually sprinkle on the reserved crumb mixture, beginning at the edges and working your way to the center, making the crumb layer a bit thicker around the edges to prevent the filling from bubbling over.

Carefully put pie in the oven; bake 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees; bake until crumb topping is golden brown, the center of the pie is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Pie will keep 2-3 days covered at room temperature.

BASIC PIE DOUGH

This dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using. Adapted from ‘‘A Baker’s Odyssey,’’ by Greg Patent.

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

1/2 cup vegetable shortening or lard, chilled

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons ice water

1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Combine the flours and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter, cutting it into the flour with a pastry blender or two butter knives until the mixture is in pea-sized pieces. Add the shortening; cut it into the flour until it is cut into pea-sized pieces.

Combine the water and vinegar in a small bowl; add it to the dry ingredients, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until the dough holds together.

Form the dough into a ball; divide into 2 pieces. Shape each piece into a 1-inch-thick disc; wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before using.