Chess Pie

Food historians haven’t been able to agree on why exactly chess pie is called “chess” pie. Is it a Southern slurring of the word chest, for the pie chests in which pastries were often stored? Or is it an archaic spelling of cheese? The origins of this simple dessert’s name may be unclear, but the pie itself is easy to puzzle out—just a single crust with a sweet, rich filling of butter, sugar, and eggs.