Its always a good idea to save a little room for the grand finale of the Thanksgiving or Christmas feast because it usually involves a delicious slice of pie. Here are two pies and a twist on the traditional pumpkin pie eeny, meeny, miney, moe, I think any or all of them will bring smiles all around.

Perfect Pie Crust

My mother-in-law Ineta Carpenters pie crusts always have a fantastic texture and flavor. Here is her simple, yet wonderful recipe. This would work well for the Pecan Pie recipe below or your favorite pie filling.

5 C. flour

2 C. shortening

1 egg, beaten with a fork

1 C. cold water from tap

Crack egg into small bowl, add 1 C. cold water and beat with fork until mixed together. In a large bowl, add shortening to flour and cut with pastry cutter, or two knives, into pea-sized crumbles. Then add the bowl of egg and water mixture. Stir until just mixed dont overmix. Divide into five balls of equal size and wrap each with plastic wrap and chill for one hour or freeze in Zip-Lock bags.

To use, roll out on lightly floured surface. Sprinkle a little flour on top of dough. Roll from the center of pie dough, outward, shaping a circle a 1/2-inch larger than the diameter of the pan. Makes two double-crust pies, with one leftover, or five single-crust pies.

Pecan Pie

A classic pecan pie at the holiday table is a thing of wonder. There are many variations of this recipe floating around, using white or brown sugar, light or dark Karo syrup, vanilla or no vanilla. I found this one in a cookbook packed full of Southern recipes, Mama Dips Kitchen by Mildred Council it turned out great.

1 stick of butter or margarine

1 C. sugar

1 C. light Karo syrup

3 eggs, beaten

1 C. chopped pecans

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a saucepan, melt the butter but dont let it brown. Mix in the sugar and Karo syrup and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Allow sugar mixture to cool slightly, then stir in the eggs. Mix well. Stir in the pecans. Pour into the pie shell and bake for 1 hour or until firm when shaken. Cover crust with tin foil halfway through baking. Serves 8.

Apple Slab

A crowd-pleaser for sure, this Apple Slab recipe, contributed by Rachel Carpenter, features a cream cheese pie dough and apple-cinnamon glaze. Its a perfect holiday dessert and worth the effort!

Cream Cheese Pie Dough: (double this for Apple Slab)

1 1/4 C. flour

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

8 Tbsp. butter

4 oz. cream cheese

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1-2 Tbsp. ice cold water

Mix up dough as you would a pie crust.

Apple Pie Filling:

12-16 apples peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 C. flour

1 C. white sugar

1 C. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

little lemon juice (optional)

Glaze:

Combine 1 1/2 C. powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, add apple cider and/or milk, a little at a time, until it is a consistency good for drizzling.

Make pie filling first, and let juices develop while making the crust. Mix up the crust like any other pie crust. Be sure to double the pie crust recipe then cut the dough in half. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill a little or, if youre in a rush, start rolling!

Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin and roll out one of the halves to the size of a cookie sheet, and big enough to go up the sides of the cookie sheet. It doesnt have to look pretty because this is a rustic apple dessert. Spread filling evenly on top and place about two tablespoons of butter in little dollops all over the apples.

Roll out the other half of the dough and lay it on top. Rachel rolls it big enough to cover the apples, but doesnt tuck it in around the edges as with a round pie if its too big when you lay it on top, cut off excess.

Cut slits in the top, and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Let cool and top with glaze.

Serves 12.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

Pumpkin pie is a staple of holiday eating, but this rich dish, contributed by Gloria Stratford, takes the cake. Serve it warm with ice cream, and listen to the guests ooh and ahh.

1 (29 oz.) or 2 (16 oz.) cans pumpkin

4 eggs

1 C. sugar

2-3 tsp. nutmeg

1 can evaporated milk

2-3 tsp. cinnamon

White or yellow cake mix

1 C. margarine or butter, melted

1 C. nuts, chopped

Combine the first six ingredients in a medium bowl and pour into ungreased 9×13-inch pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin mixture then drizzle the melted butter on cake mix and top with chopped nuts. Bake 1 hour at 350 F. Serve topped with whipped cream or ice cream. Makes 20 small servings.