Two pecan pies... plus a bonus pie recipe

Here are just a few more recipes. We tend to think at our house that Thanksgiving is not really complete without a pecan pie, so I'm sharing my two favorites. The caramel one is a recipe I've only been making for a couple of years, but it is really good. Extremely easy, too.

CARAMEL PECAN PIE

36 caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup pecan halves
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust

Combine the caramels, butter and milk in a heavy saucepan; heat until the mixture is creamy and caramels are melted, stirring often. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt with an electric mixer; gradually blend in the caramel mixture. Fold in the pecans and pour the mixture into the pie crust. Bake at 350º for 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Cool pie until firm before cutting or serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.



PECAN CHEESECAKE PIE

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
2 eggs
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla and salt until smooth. Add 1 egg and beat on low until well combined. Pour this mixture into the pie crust. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the top.

In a medium bowl, combine the 2 eggs, corn syrup, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Pour this mixture over the pecans. Bake at 375º for 45 minutes or until puffed and nearly set. Cool completely before serving or cutting, and store the pie and any leftovers in the fridge.

And just one more recipe, this one for pumpkin pie. I was trying last year to find a pumpkin pie recipe that my son-in-law would really like. He loves pumpkin pie, but hasn't cared much for the ones usually served at our dinner. So I tried this one and it went over really well with him, and with all of us.

EASY PUMPKIN PIE

1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 425º. Combine all ingredients except pie crust in a large bowl and beat with electric mixer until well combined. Pour into crust.

Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350º. Bake pie for 35 to 40 minutes longer or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool pie before cutting or serving. Refrigerate leftovers.