During the Great Depression, Americans had no other choice but to be resourceful, and so the famous water pie (also known as "hard times pie" or "desperation pie") was born.

This buttery, gelatinous dessert worked as somewhat of a magic trick due to only requiring six ingredients while bringing joy to a starving populace.

Water is the star ingredient and once you pour it onto the crust, sprinkle in a mix of flour and sugar, followed by a bit of vanilla extract.

Then place a few pats of butter, put the mixture right into the oven, and watch the magic happen — no mixing is required.

When you take out the pie, it still might be a bit liquid-like, but allowing it some time to cool down in the fridge will help solidify your simple dessert.