Sometimes you don't want to experiment or get all avant-garde. Sometimes you just want a traditional, time-tested, really good pie. Classics are classics for a reason.
Chocolate Meringue Pie 
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 cups milk
4 squares bittersweet chocolate, coarsely broken
1/2 tsp vanilla
Meringue
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare pie crust.
Mix sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.
Beat egg yolks, then add the sugar/cornstarch and stir well.
Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly.
Heat over medium burner until it is thick.
Gradually stir in the chocolate and heat until thick and boiling.
Remove from heat, and add the vanilla.
Pour into prepared pie crust.
Prepare the meringue.
Spread the meringue carefully over the filling.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes. The meringue should be lightly browned. Check it frequently for the last 5-10 minutes to make sure the peaks don’t burn.
Banana Cream Pie
1 large box instant banana pudding (for a fuller pie, use 2)
2 1/2 cups milk
whipped cream
1 or 2 ripe bananas
Mix pudding and milk. Slice banana(s) into 1/4" slices.
Line bottom of pie crust with banana slices.
Pour pudding into pie crust.
Top with whipped cream.
Gently lay banana slices on top in an appetizing pattern.
Chess Pie
1/3 cup butter
1 3/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp cream
3 beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 dash nutmeg
1 Basic 9" Pie Crust (unbaked)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream sugar and butter together.
Add milk, eggs, vanilla and a dash of nutmeg.
Pour into pie shell.
Bake for 45 minutes or until brown.
Buttermilk Pie
4 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp flour
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 Basic 9" Pie Crust (unbaked)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat eggs well.
Sift flour and sugar together.
Add eggs, melted butter, buttermilk, salt, and vanilla.
Stir mixture well.
Pour into pie crust.
Bake 45 minutes.
Lemon Meringue Pie
1 1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup water
4 egg yolks (whites will be used in the meringue)
4 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
2 tsp grated lemon rind
Meringue
Grate the lemon.
Mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan, off the heat.
Add the lemon juice and water and stir with a whisk.
Add the egg yolks and whisk until the mixture is well blended and of uniform color.
Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. The mixture will thicken and start to bubble. It should be thick enough so that it holds its shape when you stir it. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and rind. The mixture will be thick and yellow.
Pour the mixture into a baked pie crust and cover it with plastic wrap to keep a skin from forming on top.
Prepare the meringue.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Remove the plastic wrap from the pie and spread the meringue over the filling. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. The meringue should be lightly browned. Check it frequently for the last 5-10 minutes to make sure the peaks don’t burn.
Deluxe Pecan Pie
1 Basic 9" Pie Crust (unbaked)
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pecan halves
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Beat together eggs, sugar, salt, butter, corn syrup, and cream.
Stir in vanilla and pecans.
Pour into pie crust.
Bake 40-50 minutes.
Old-Fashioned Apple Pie
(This pie was so tasty, by the time I grabbed my camera, this sad little piece was all that was left.)
1 Basic 9" Double Pie Crust (unbaked)
2/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 pounds of apples (peeled, cored, and thinly sliced)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Egg wash
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine sugar, flour and spices in large bowl.
Mix in the apples so they are well coated.
Add the vanilla extract.
Place apple filling into pie crust, forming a slight mound.
Place the top crust and cut slits to vent steam (or use a lattice top) and crimp the edges sealed.
Apply egg wash.
Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 30-45 minutes, until the crust is golden and the juices are bubbling.
Blueberry Pie
20 ounces blueberries (approximately 4 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
5 tbsp flour (or cornstarch)
1 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 Basic 9" Double Pie Crust (unbaked)
Egg Wash
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
Mash up half of the blueberries in a small bowl.
Mix together the sugar, salt and flour.
Add the mashed blueberries and orange juice and stir to combine.
Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes. Fold in the whole berries.
Pour mixture into bottom crust.
Lightly brush the edge of the crust with the egg wash and place the top crust (this recipe works great with a lattice top).
Once you have the top crust in place, brush with the egg wash, trim excess dough and edge of crust in order to seal.
Place on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes. The pie should be bubbling lightly around the edges.
Place the pie on a rack and allow to cool to room temperature before serving, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Cherry Pie
1 Basic 9" Double Pie Crust (unbaked)
6 cups pitted cherries (about 2 pounds)
2/3 cups sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Stir together the sugar and cornstarch until evenly mixed.
Add the cherries and almond extract, and mix together until cherries are evenly coated.
Pour the filling into the pie shell. Cover with top crust and cut several steam vents.
Bake for 25 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake 30 minutes more, or until the crust is golden brown.
Peach Pie
1 Basic 9" Double Pie Crust (unbaked)
2/3 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp lemon juice
7 cups peach slices (1/3-1/2 inch thick)
2 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix together 2/3 cup sugar, flour, nutmeg, and salt.
Add lemon juice and peaches, and toss until the fruit is completely coated with the sugar mixture.
Pile peaches in pie crust, forming a mound.
Scatter the butter over the peaches.
Place the top crust and seal the edges. Cut several steam vents (or use a lattice top).
Bake for 25 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees.
Bake an additional 15 minutes, then sprinkle the remaining 1 tbsp sugar over the pie.
Continue baking 15 minutes longer, or until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling.
Pumpkin Pie
1 Basic 9" Pie Crust (unbaked)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 eggs
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporated Milk
Whipped cream (optional)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves.
Beat eggs in large bowl.
Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture.
Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
Pour into pie crust.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.
Cool on wire rack for 2 hours.
If desired, top with whipped cream before serving.
Chocolate Cream Pie
1 large box instant chocolate pudding
2 1/2 cups milk
1 Chocolate or Graham Cracker Crust
whipped cream
chocolate chips or shavings (optional, but suggested)
Mix pudding and milk. Stir in chocolate chips.
Pour into pie crust.
Top with whipped cream.
Sprinkle with chocolate chips/shavings, or any other garnish you prefer.
