Pie Snob

I was just called by a wonderful former Cresbard friend to bake a pie for an upcoming local fundraiser. She was so happy and seemed surprised that I was so willing to do that favor for her.
I love to bake. Chances are, if you call me and ask for any baked goods at all--except Rick Krispie bars which I only make on very special occasions--I will willingly oblige. Unfortunately, I also love to eat what I bake! If it weren't for my inherited sweet tooth, I would probably be more than a few pounds lighter that I am now, but what fun would that be?
I have never met a sweet I didn't like, but one of my favorite baked goods is pie. The problem is that real homemade pie is becoming a lost art. Some people love store-bought pies and say they can't tell the difference between Sara Lee and Grandma's oven. I can. Both of my grandmas can bake some wonderful pies. Perhaps I have been too spoiled.
Our local cafe has one of the best pie bakers around on their cooking staff. Every Thursday, she has a long list of homemade pies on the board--Apple, Peach Cream, Rhubarb, Strawberry, Lemon, Sour Cream Raisin, and, our favorite, Chocolate Chip. Chocolate Chip pie consists of a cookie on a pie crust. Yum.
Nothing disappoints me more than "homemade" pie advertised on a cafe's wall only to have a canned filling or food service pie served to me. What a waste of calories. If it came off a refrigerated truck and you warmed it in the oven, please advertise it as such.
The first pie I perfected in my kitchen was pumpkin. Incidentally, pumpkin is one of the few types of pie that I do like from the grocery store freezer, but homemade is still better. I used to use refrigerated pie crusts, but they have a certain flavor I decided I did not care for. I do, however, like the frozen crusts so I will use them when time is short. I have two homemade crust recipes that I go between and have met my tasters' approval. I shared a pie with my in-laws probably about a year ago. I don't remember the type of pie it was, but when my mother-in-law found out I made my own crust, she said, "I didn't know people did that anymore!"
There have been some lessons learned along the way. Sour cream raisin pie will not set with fat-free sour cream. Do not overfill a pie shell or it will make a BIG mess in the oven. Meringue is not as difficult to make as it seems to be.
Yes, I am a pie snob. I love pie so much that I can't choose an ultimate favorite. I only ask that if you are serving it to me or I am paying $2 or more for a piece of it, just please, please make it homemade. Don't lie. I will know.
I now have a couple of weeks to decide what type of pie I will make for the fundraiser. Any suggestions?