Pie

Old-fashioned mincemeat contained tiny bits of meat and/or beef suet, a type of fat. This modern, meatless version is a great mix of apples, dried fruits, and warming spices.

This deep-dish crumb-topped pie combines several winter fruits and confirms that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The pears become soft, the apples remain slightly firm, the figs add texture and sweetness, and the tart cranberries pop in your mouth, making this rustic pie a sensory treat. Be sure to plan ahead, as this recipe calls for chilling the dough for one hour, chilling it again after you roll it out (this reduces shrinkage of the crust during baking), and then baking the pie for over an hour. It is an hours-long process, off and on, but it is worth every minute. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a glass of apple or pear brandy (preferably from Clear Creek Distillery), it is the perfect final touch to a dinner party.

The glory of a chess pie is its rich custard filling (long ago also used to fill tartlets called cheesecakes, hence the name). The secret to the accompanying salsa is to panfry the pineapple until it's charred, bringing out the fruit's acidic, musky qualities. And as for the last-minute drizzle of caramel sauce—how bad could that be?

This dressed-up rendition of a classic has a supremely satisfying filling.

An assortment of apple varieties adds complexity to this nicely spiced apple pie. The Pink Lady apples are just slightly tart with hints of raspberry and kiwi. Pippins are firm with crisp and tart flavors. And Golden Delicious apples (a classic choice for pies) have a juicy texture and honeyed sweetness.

A flaky phyllo crust, layered with butter and a pumpkin pie–spice sugar forms the crust for this silky well-spiced pie.

When thoughts turn to pie, why not pear? Bartletts, which are usually eaten out of hand, are also excellent baked. Brown sugar provides the butterscotch.

This is a breeze to make: The dough is cut into pretty shapes with a cookie cutter, then layered atop the filling.

Any kind of mild honey will work beautifully here. It will cook into a rich caramel, which coats the peaches and deepens their sweetness.

The perfect dessert for your next barbecue: This chilled pie is an appealing combination of chocolate, berries, and lemon. And all it takes is a food processor and a whisk. The crust—made from chocolate wafer cookies and melted chocolate—is simply pressed into the pan. The filling is just a mix of sweet, bright, and tangy ingredients.

Raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries are baked between a crisp pastry crust and a crumbly streusel topping.

Here's our slightly simpler version of Bud's fantastic pie (which you should mail-order if you love gooey chocolate chip cookies). Chocolate chip whipped cream is a pretty good substitute for the ice cream Bud insists you eat with it.

This pie was almost my obsession. I desperately wanted a banana cream pie that wasn't too sweet, and I couldn't find one with the right consistency or the right banana flavor. I think this is pretty close to perfect, and the flavors marry well with the Elvis-inspired peanut butter layer.

An almond-spiked crust and twice the amount of filling you'd find in most Key lime pies are the secret here.

Candy turtles—chocolatecovered caramel and pecan candy—meet graham-cracker-crusted ice cream pie.

This traditional dessert can be served warm from the oven or at room temperature. It's delicious topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, creme fraîche, or whipped cream.