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TOP ROW

1. Meyer Lemon Shaker Pie. The pictures of this pie always stop us in our tracks. So beautiful and sunny- and a perfect pie for this time of year.

2. Apple Blackberry Pie with Ginger. This is practically a template for any sort of fruit pie. Easy, rustic, and quick.

3. Persimmon Tart. Another one where the filling shines without a lot of added ingredients. If you can wait for your persimmons to get mushy, this is a pretty way to use them.

4. End of Summer Prune Plum Pie. "End of summer" for Sara Kate, who lives in New York. But maybe you have these little Italian plums growing in your area?

5. Bean Brulee Tart. Definitely one of the most unique pies from our Best Pie Bakeoff- creamy beans blended into a sweet filling. We still haven't tried this recipe yet, but it's on our list.

SECOND ROW

6. Candy Apple Pie. Bold and beautiful, with a graham cracker crust, layers of apples and custard, and caramel drizzled on top. Oh goodness.

7. Cherry Berry Pie. We love the decorative cutouts on the top, and cherry pie is one of those classics that we don't see as often as we'd like.

8. Rustic Pear Custard Pie. A nice departure from apples! Pear seems like such a natural ingredient for pie, especially with a custard filling.

9. Pecan and Date Pie. This was based on a Cooking Light recipe, so maybe it's less guilt-inducing? Hmm. We love the idea of dates for sweetness.

10. Nearly Instant Apple Cinnamon Mini-Tarts These make use of those little lumps of leftover dough, and they take almost no time. You can have a taste of pie without the trouble.

THIRD ROW

11. Blueberry Lavender Cream Pie. Remember this one from last year? A spectacular purple color and a fancy secret ingredient.

12. Apple apple pie. Too cool. If only we had the pastry skills for this one...

Related:
• The Cook's Illustrated Vodka Pie Crust
• Three Basic Pie Crust Recipes

(Images: See linked posts for individual photo credits; top image by Faith Durand)