The Amish Cook from Oasis Newsfeatures

In reference to your first paragraph

You can check it out here to see what I'm talking about http://www.maplesprings.com/kingsyrup.html. 

ETA no clue why that link isn't working as it's the EXACT url,

I can tell you exactly why your link doesn't work.  You have bad html.  There is no period or space after .html - the end parenthesis needs to be after the "l".  You can even see it from the purple underline.

In my Dad's Amish family, Shoo-Fly pie just wasn't something we had much. We were more likely to have fruit pies or a sugar cream/old-fashioned cream pie. Family tastes, you know...  *shrug*

I had read about it in books, so I tried it once, and I didn't like it.  I hated the "heaviness" of the molasses taste. 

But coming to this site has sent me digging further into my family recipes from Dad's side... the Amish side.  I've wanted to create a family recipe book, but haven't ever gotten enough recipes together from the extended family to do it.

When Grandma Stutzman died, we had a family auction to auction off the odds-and-ends after each child received his/her portion. Grandma's 2 recipe boxes sold to high bidders, and I wasn't able to get one.  A year or so later, I heard that one of my cousins' wives just DUMPED HERS!  She didn't think she'd use those... **still stomping around in anger and disgust at the thought**

Somehow my aunt was able to get the second one for me. Though it isn't filled to the brim with *lots* of handwritten memories, there are still a few treasures tucked inside.  And I love seeing her handwriting...  *smile*

Back to your questions, VeryFineWhine...

This is what I found in answer to "What is light molasses?"

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Sweet and thick, molasses is what's left when sugarcane or sugar beets are processed to make refined sugar. It has a bold flavor that's dark-roasted and tangy. The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen usually uses unsulfured molasses; our recipes should specify whether to use light or dark.

• Light molasses comes from the first boiling of the sugar syrup.
• Dark molasses comes from the second boiling. It's darker and less sweet.
• Blackstrap molasses comes from the third boiling. It's thick, dark, and bitter, and should not be used in cooking.
• Sulfured molasses comes from green sugarcane that has been treated with sulfur as a preservative during the juice extraction process.
• Unsulfured molasses is the purest of all. It comes from the juice of sun-ripened, mature sugarcane that hasn't been treated with sulfur fumes.

http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/ingredients/2008/04/molasses

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ANOTHER GOOD SWEETENER PRIMER - http://www.foodsubs.com/Syrups.html

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I used the dark molasses in my pie, and didn't like it.  Sorghum is another possibility, but I'm guessing most might be using "dark Karo syrup", as it's used in this area to make pecan pies, and so would likely be on hand.

And I think you're correct... people probably make their pies according to the regional or family favorite recipes, and so they could be very different.  And they could be using their own homemade syrups, like sorghum or maple or sugar beet.

But the treasure I found in Grandma's recipe box is this one... using (of all things!) maple syrup (and in her own handwriting! ).  They did gather sap, boil it down, and make their own maple syrup, as is still done in this area even today.

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SHOOFLY PIE (Grandma's spelling)

2 c sugar

1 c shortening

2 c flour

1 c maple syrup*

1 c boiling water

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vinegar**

pie crust

Preheat oven to "medium heat" (325-350 degrees F)

Rub together sugar, shortening, and flour until it resembles coarse crumbs.  In a second bowl, mix together maple syrup and water, then add baking soda dissolved into the vinegar.

Pour the wet mixture into the pie crust, then sprinkle the crumbs over the top. Bake for 30 minutes, until done. (Approximate, since the temperature wasn't given, and I haven't yet tried this.)

*This is pure maple syrup, not the stuff we buy at the store that is mixed with OR is totally flavored corn syrup.

**This would be cider vinegar, the dark kind.

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I hope this helps you find what you're looking for.  You'll need to just try each one using the next likely type of syrup and recipe until you find your favorite.

TIP: to look for an ingredient, use a search engine like Google or Dogpile and type in (for example) ingredient + molasses.  It will send you toward sites that explain ingredients. I like dogpile.com because it not only searches Google, too, but several other search engines at the same time!

http://www.dogpile.com/

http://www.google.com/

(SHEESH... talk about "super chatty mood"!!! LOL)