Our Favorite Fall Pie Recipes

Pumpkin pie is America's second-favorite pie, trailing only apple in a 2008 survey by Crisco and the American Pie Council.

From scratch or a can? Purists start with a real pumpkin, making a puree from scratch. The rest of us just open a can, an admirably Midwestern thing to do since 85 percent of the nation's canned pumpkin comes from Libby's plant in Morton, Illinois.

Better crusts: Blind baking (prebaking the piecrust before filling and baking) avoids the soggy bottom crust that plagues many custard pies.

Seasoning smarts: Once the baking starts, there's no mistaking the spicy aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and maybe cloves or allspice. It's the tweaking of these seasonings that leads most chefs to create unique masterpieces.

Toppers: Almost always, a generous dollop of whipped cream!