With a little freezer space and a few hours before 
the big day, delicious pies and cakes can be made ahead and frozen, leaving our ovens free for that big ol' bird and all the fixings to go with it. 
Loaded with the colors of fall foliage, this pie has the sweetness of a pecan pie, with the toothsome addition of dried apricots and cranberries. Lightly toasting the walnuts before baking brings out their flavor and ensures crispness. Mix the ingredients gently to avoid a mottled appearance. A scoop of vanilla ice cream is the perfect complement. -- Jeanne Besser

Hands on time: 15 minutes  Total time: 1 hour and 5 minutes  Serves: 8 slices; makes 9-inch pie

Ingredients:

2 eggs 

1 cup packed light brown sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1/4 cup heavy cream 

3 tablespoons butter, melted 

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1 1/2 cups walnuts, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped 

1 1/2 cups dried apricots (about 8 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch pieces 

1 cup dried cranberries 

1 (9-inch) pie crust in pie pan, unbaked and chilled 

Cranberries and dried apricots for garnish (optional) 

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla. Add the cream, butter, cinnamon and salt and stir gently until thoroughly combined. Stir in the walnuts, apricots and cranberries. Pour the filling into the pie crust. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the center remains firm when gently moved. Garnish with cranberries and apricot slices if desired. Check after 20 minutes, and every 10 minutes thereafter, to make sure the fruit and crust are not overbrowning; if necessary, shield with foil. Cool thoroughly at room temperature. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in a 2-gallon freezer zip-top bag or cover tightly with aluminum foil and freeze. Defrost the wrapped pie at room temperature and serve. -- Adapted from Bon Appetit

Nutrition:

Per serving: 458 calories (percent of calories from fat, 53), 9 grams protein, 47 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 27 grams fat, 68 milligrams cholesterol, 239 milligrams sodium.