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Miso Caramel Apple
Floriole
Floriole has long sold miso-laced caramels, and this year owner Sandra Holl infused her good ol’ apple pie with a dash of the same salty Japanese seasoning. A mix of sweet and tart Michigan apples (like Golden Delicious, Mutsus, and Empires) mingle with white miso caramel to give this double-crust creation a curious complexity. $35 for a whole pie. 1220 W. Webster Ave., Lincoln Park
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Laser
Brown Sugar Bakery
In this unabashedly sweet pie (which gets its name from the Lupe Fiasco album Lasers), custardy sweet potato filling is baked in a buttery crust, then dressed with squiggles of caramel and chocolate and topped with chopped pecans. Sure, it’s crazy rich, but live a little — it’s the holidays. $19 for a whole pie. 328 E. 75th St., Chatham
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Bleu Cheese Praline Pear
Justice of the Pies
For the sugar shunner at your Thanksgiving dinner, this bold little number plays up the classic fruit-cheese pairing while keeping the sweetness in check. The filling melds tender pear and salty blue cheese crumbles and sits in a savory butter crust. A finishing drizzle of rich praline sauce adds yin to yang. $30 for a whole pie. justiceofthepies.com
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Cranberry Yuzu Meringue
Spinning J
Owner Dinah Grossman makes estimable meringue pies all year long, but this seasonal offering is the most intriguing. She artfully swirls curd made from cranberries and bright yuzu for a tart-sweet synchrony, then crowns the pie with toasted meringue peaks. It’s a refreshing finale for a gut-busting holiday spread. $35 for a whole pie. 1000 N. California Ave., Humboldt Park
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Caramel Apple Cider
Spilt Milk
Autumn on a pie plate: Apple cider is reduced to a syrup and mixed with slices of at least three apple varieties, hit with a dash of cinnamon, and baked to fragrant perfection with a brown butter crumble. Begs to be served warm. $30 for a whole pie. 103 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park