Pie

A simple nut crust and a smooth caramel sauce are all the preparation required for this impressive dessert. Be sure to start making it at least 12 hours before serving.

If making more than 2 pies, do not double this recipe but make multiple batches.

Store-bought crusts make these scrumptious a snap to prepare.

Tarte au Sirop d' Érable "My husband and I had an absolutely fantastic dessert at Restaurant Aux Anciens Canadiens while on vacation in Quebec, Canada," Says Deb Kalikow of Natick, Massachusetts. "Maple syrup pie served with crème fraîche is its specialty. The pie capped off a perfect dinner of delicious French-Canadian dishes. We ate at another restaurant the next night and tried the maple syrup pie there. We were so disappointed by our first bites that we then went back to Aux Anciens Canadiens and waited an hour just to have another piece of their pie." Don't be tempted to forgo the cream with this pie; it perfectly complements the dessert's rich silkiness and balances the sweetness.

"I had lunch at a historic spot in Berryville, Virginia, called the Battletown Inn," says Judy Owens of Round Hill Virginia. "For dessert, I ordered bourbon walnut pie. If chef Robin Smith would share her recipe, I know that baking the pie during the holidays would become a family tradition." The sweetness of the filling is offset nicely by the bourbon. Serve the dessert with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Pear wedges are tossed with brown butter (easily made by melting butter, then keeping it on the heat until golden and nutty) for an especially comforting treat.

Arranging the apple slices in a flower petal formation may be work for the cook, but it sure provides luxurious eating for your lucky guests. This pie has an exceptionally crisp bottom crust under a juicy filling of caramelized, cinnamony apples made tangy and glistening with a gilding of apricot preserves. The border is a wreath of leaves cut from the pie crust.

Tart cranberries provide delicious contrast to the rich nut filling.

This classic southern dessert is very rich and sweet and should be served in small wedges.

Here's a beautiful pie with a sweet-tart filling and a sensational crust.

The cookie-like dough is great for the novice pie maker, as any imperfections can easily be patched. Be sure to use ripe, juicy pears. Offer this with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

The lull between the main course and dessert is the best time to top the sweet potato pie with meringue and brown it. Cooks tempted to do this several hours ahead should be aware that the meringue will most likely weep.

"Banoffi," the Royal Hotel's name for this luscious pie, was coined by combining the words banana and toffee.

The name Newman was once a staple only in Hollywood; today, it's a staple in kitchens all across the country. That is largely the result of the efforts of two people: Paul Newman, who founded the Newman's Own line of food products in 1982, and his daughter Nell, who expanded the brand with Newman's Own Organics 11 years later. All profits of both companies go to charities. And what dessert gives this giving family the greatest comfort? "Pecan pie," says Nell, whose mother—actress Joanne Woodward—grew up in the South. "I've always loved pecan pie and the smell of toasting pecans and burnt sugar that goes with it. My aunts Betty Lane and Nina still send their pecan pies up from Georgia at the holidays." This update on the sweet southern classic has the true taste of maple and some whole wheat flour in the crust.

We chose Golden Delicious apples because they are available everywhere, but you can use locally grown heirloom varieties from your farmers' market instead. Just be sure to ask which ones are best for baking.