Sometimes simpler is better. That’s certainly the case with these old-fashioned pies, which have been unjustly relegated to the back of the recipe box. Made from just a few basic ingredients, they still manage to be rich and full of flavor. Break out the apron and the rolling pin, and give them a try.The beauty of this pie is in its simplicity. Known as a “desperation pie” because it relies on just a few very basic ingredients—the only ingredients many cash-strapped farm families had back in the 19th and 20th centuries—the chess pie nevertheless manages to be decadent, with flour, sugar, eggs, and butter coming together in just the right quantities. Adding in buttermilk along with some cocoa powder makes it even more satisfying. You can customize it any number of ways—with lemons, for examples— and garnish with pecans, fruits, or whipped cream.2. Mincemeat PieMincemeat reaches all the way back to the 13th century, when Crusaders returned from the Holy Land with the three main spices us...
