When it comes to pie, I wish I could go on for pages, listing the 181 recipes on our website! Alas, I cannot, so let me just preface my recommendations by putting in a dedicated plug for our recipe site. Thanks to a serious amount of hard work from many talented people at King Arthur Flour, our recipe pages are now easier to navigate than ever. So there's no stopping you from finding just the right pie.

For now, I'll try to cover all the necessary bases. Apple, pumpkin, and pecan are the most popular options at this time of year. Classic recipes are always a safe bet, but if you're looking to switch things up, here's what I suggest: Add some cranberries to your apple pie, layer cheesecake into your pumpkin pie, and lace a little bourbon and ginger into your pecan pie. I 'm sure you won't be disappointed with these embellishments, even if you do consider yourself a purist. Or, if you want to go the popular route, but aren't ready to experiment, you really can't go wrong with chocolate cream pie. It's not exactly traditional for Thanksgiving, but no one will complain when they're indulging in its creamy, pudding-like chocolate filling.

Or just go completely rogue, and stand out this year with a juicy grape pie. One of my favorite local farmers said he experimented with this concept using his own grapes recently and was blown away. That was enough to get me on board (as if I wasn't already!). Just remember that practice makes perfect with pie, so a little testing this weekend will go a long way towards Thanksgiving success. Plus, there's probably a veteran in your life who deserves a little pie this week. To all of you and them, a heartfelt thank you from us.