Shoo Fly Pie

This wonderful sweet pie with such a scary name is a great favourite of mine. It's completely unknown in the UK. From Reader's Digest 'Cookery Year'. From the American Deep South as you guys will all know :) and taking it's rather off-putting name from the need to shoo flies away from the gorgeous sweet aroma whilst it's cooling on the window-sill. I was amazed to see that none of the recipes here use raisins. How odd, and really rather sad. They really make this a pie to die for! I like it best served still warm with a creamy vanilla Ice Cream. Apologies to Doanique but I am not able to reply directly to her. This recipe and the history of it is verbatim from the 'Readers Digest' 'Cookery Year'. I apologise for not doing my own intensive research to verify the accuracy of the historical data before posting a favourite recipe.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 4  ounces  shortcrust pastry
• 4  ounces raisins (stoneless)
• 2  ounces soft brown sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda

• Topping

• 4  ounces plain flour (=all purpose flour)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (half LEVEL tsp)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (quarter LEVEL tsp)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger (quarter LEVEL tsp)
• 2  ounces unsalted butter
• 2  ounces soft brown sugar

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 Fahrenheit (gas mark 7).
2. Prepare the shortcrust and roll it out thinly on a lightly floured board.
3. Line a 7 inch flan tin or shallow pie plate with the pastry.
4. Crimp the edges between finger and thumb for a decorative finish.
5. Prick the base all over with a fork and cover with the raisins.
6. Mix 2 ounces of brown sugar with 4 dessertspoonsfuls of hot water and the baking soda. (Note: I just checked on Google as I haven't used a dessertspoon measure myself for years! and 1 Imperial dessertspoon = 0.8 US tablespoons, so by my reckoning this would work out to be 3 TBSP + 3/4 TSP hot water. I think :).
7. Pour over the raisins.
8. For the topping, sift together the flour and spices.
9. Cut the butter into small knobs and rub them into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
10. Stir in the brown sugar and sprinkle over the raisins.
11. Bake the pie on the shelf above the centre of pre-heated oven at 425 fahrenheit (gas mark 7) until the pie begins to brown.
12. Reduce the heat to 325 fahrenheit (gas mark 3) and bake for a further 20 minutes or until the topping has set.
13. Cut the pie into wedges and serve it warm or cold. "A jug of cream may be offered although it is not traditional.".