Here are 5 Thanksgiving pie recipes, from apple to pecan and pumpkin, to try this year

Thanksgiving is almost here. And there's no better way to end your holiday feast than with a slice of homemade pie.

Whether it's apple, pecan or pumpkin, there are so many delicious fall flavors from which to choose. If you're looking for some Thanksgiving inspiration, here are five pie recipes from the Courier Journal's extensive recipe archive.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bourbon Pecan Pie recipe

Makes one 10-inch pie. Provided by the now-closed Sweet Surrender

• 2/3 cup chopped pecans
• 2 and 1/2 cups bourbon
• 8 ounces butter
• 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 and 1/2 cups pecan halves

The night before you plan to bake the pie, soak the chopped pecans overnight in your favorite bourbon. Make sure they are completely drained before adding them to the filling the next day. Reserve one-fourth cup of the drained bourbon to add to the filling.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease pie pan and set aside.

Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes.  Add butter to 2 and 1/2 cups of flour. Work the mixture with your hands until it resembles a course meal with the largest bits being pea size. Add cold water and mix together until it forms solid dough. Do not overwork or the dough will become tough. Roll pie dough out on a floured table until dough is one-eighth inch thick. Carefully place in prepared pie pan. Trim away excess dough and set aside.

In a bowl, combine sugar and one tablespoon of flour. Whisk in eggs, corn syrup, reserved bourbon, and butter until well combined. Mix in chopped bourbon pecans. Pour into prepared pie shell. Arrange bourbon pecan halves on top.

Bake for 50 minutes. Pie should be solid to the touch, reddish brown on top and golden on edges. The center of the pie will rise, and there should be a slight jiggle to the filling. Let cool to room temperature.

Buttermilk pie recipe

Buttermilk pie at Cottage Cafe at 11609 Main St. in Middletown, Ky. Feb. 5, 2016

• 2 unbaked pie shells
• 12 tablespoons butter, melted, at room temperature
• 8 eggs
• 3 cups sugar
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs. Add flour, butter and vanilla. Mix. Add buttermilk; mix well. Pour mixture into pie shells. Bake about 40 minutes, checking that center is set.

Chef’s note: Place a 2-inch strip of aluminum foil around the edge of the pie to keep the crust from over-browning.

Dutch Apple Pie with Caramel recipe

Dutch Apple Pie And Caramel

Dough:

• 1/2 cup pastry flour
• 1 and 1/4 tablespoons sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 2 and 1/2 teaspoons dry milk
• 6 tablespoons margarine
• 2 and 1/4 tablespoons water, chilled

In a medium bowl, combine pastry flour, sugar, salt and dry milk together. Sift dry ingredients twice. Slice margarine and mix into dry ingredients. Pour in majority of the chilled water and mix until dough is formed. Add remaining water if required. Wrap dough and refrigerate until ready to use.

Filling:

• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 5 granny smith apples, sliced and peeled
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 and 1/4 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• Pinch of salt

In a deep medium saucepan, fill with water and bring to boil over high heat. Remove label from unopened sweetened condensed milk can and submerge in water for 30 minutes. Reduce to medium heat and cook for 2 hours 30 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, combine apples, sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, butter and salt. Add 3/4 of caramel to mixture. Mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed.

Remove dough from refrigerator. Sprinkle both sides with flour. Cover with plastic and roll into 10-inch to 11-inch circles. Remove plastic and place dough in 9-inch pie pan, pressing down on edges. Trim ends if necessary. Pour apple mixture into pie shell. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and top with remaining caramel.

Pumpkin Pie (gluten-free) recipe

The pumpkin pie at Annie May's Cafe on Frankfort Avenue. Sept. 29, 2015

• 16 ounces pumpkin (canned is fine, if gluten-free)
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1 and 1/2 cups rice milk or non-dairy alternative milk of your choice
• 1 prepared, unbaked 9-inch pie crust (gluten-free)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients, except milk. Whisk until eggs are completely incorporated. Slowly add rice milk while whisking, until all rice milk is blended into pie mixture.

Pour the mixture into a prepared, unbaked crust. Brush crust edges with rice milk. Bake 45 minutes.

Sweet Potato Pie recipe

Sweet Potato Pie from Chef Josh Moore at Volare, 2300 Frankfort Ave.

Sour cream pie crust

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 3/4-pound unsalted butter (chilled and cubed)
• 3/4 cup sour cream

Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Using your hands, cut the butter into the flour until crumbly. Next, add the sour cream, mix just until incorporated but do not over mix.  Wrap dough and place in the refrigerator until firm. Next, the dough is ready to be rolled out and formed into a pie pan.

Filling

• 2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
• 3/4 cup half & half
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 4 egg whites

Preheat oven to 325 degrees with rack in a centered position.

In a medium bowl, combine cooked sweet potatoes, sugar, melted butter, half & half, egg yolks, vanilla, nutmeg, and bourbon. Stir until the mixture is smooth.

Next, in another bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Add one spoon of the whites to the pie mixture to begin the process of incorporating the two. Then fold the remaining egg whites into the pie mixture. 

Pour the pie filling into the prepared crust and bake until set, approximately 45-50 minutes. 

Cool pie to room temperature, serve with whipped cream.

Reach features editor Kathryn Gregory at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Here are 5 Thanksgiving pie recipes, from apple to pecan and pumpkin, to try this year