Yup, that's right. Two of his favourite pies go to my husband for Father's Day this year. It turns out, these are two of the easiest pies to make AND they ARE good for breakfast too.

PECAN PIE:

1 deep dish pie crust (make your own or pick up from the grocery store freezer)

1 1/2 cups pecans
Dump them into the pie shell

3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cane syrup or corn syrup or golden syrup
4 T. melted butter
pinch of salt
Mix in a deep bowl, using an electric hand mixer. When the eggs are pale and the misture has thickened a little, pour over pecans into the pie shell.

Bake for 35-40 in a preheated 350F oven on the lowest rack. Allow to cool on a rack on the kitchen shelf, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. To serve, bring pie out one to two hours before you need it, although straight out of the refrigerator is not going to offend anyone.

If you want to get fancy, use only 1 cup of pecans and 1/2 cup of sliced almonds. If you want to go NUTS, use 1/2 cup pecans, 1/2 cup sliced almonds and 1/2 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts.
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CUSTARD PIE:

I must admit, this is one of my favourites too.

1 deep dish pie crust (see above)
Bake in a 375F oven, just long enough to cook the dough, about 15 minutes. I line the pie (on the inside) with parchment paper or waxed paper (which is what we all used before Marth Stewart and Emeril got on the air) and dump a cup or so of beans onto the paper. This weighs the pie down, so that it doesn't "pucker" on the bottom as it cooks. Allow the pie shell to cool.

5 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups milk
pinch of salt
Mix well, using an electric hand mixer.

1 t. vanilla essence
1 t. grated nutmeg

Mix in the vanilla and pour into the pie shell. Yes, do remove the paper and beans. Sprinkle nutmeg evenly on the top and bake in lowest shelf of the oven at 350F for about 40 minutes. The top should be golden brown and puffed and the custard should still "jiggle" a bit; it will set, as it cools.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. If you wish, I find that this pie CAN be consumed at room temperature and it's just fine...be sure that the neighbours aren't watching.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all the dads!

These both sound very good...I will definitely try to make these at some point over the next couple of months...

Mmm....I hope your husband appreciates them!

Mike....these are SO easy, that it's almost difficult to accept praise for making them, especially when you use frozen store-bought pie crusts.

I made them in between cleaning house, doing laundry, picking up graddaughter from day care AND working in my home office (new gig)! See...you can mix up your pie stuff, stick it in the oven, get a beer, watch something on tv and--poof--pies are done! Magic!

I hope you enjoy the pool with your son. Isn't if fun to hear, "..hey, watch this dad" and "...hey, dad, watch how I do THIS!"

Happy Father's Day!