of Christmas cake and pudding, palates are seeking more conventional desserts, and what better way to end a meal than with a delicious slice of pie? Pies are as varied as the people who eat them. Easy to make, with good eye appeal, and always tasty, pies are a universal favourite.

Here are some delicious examples, taken from the "Spices of the World Cook Book'' published by McCormick.

Enjoy! *** LEMON MERINGUE PIE 1 baked 9-inch pie shell 1 cup sugar 5 tablespoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon lemon peel 1 teaspoon mace Dash ginger Dash salt 2 cups water 1 cup lemon juice 4 egg yolks, beaten 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract IN the top of a double boiler combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon peel, mace, ginger and salt. Mix well. Stir in water, lemon juice and beaten egg yolks.

Cook over boiling water, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Cool. Stir in vanilla and pour into pie shell.

Meringue 4 egg whites 3 cup sugar Dash salt 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Cinnamon sugar BEAT egg whites until foamy. Gradually beat in sugar, dash salt and pure vanilla extract. Spread over pie filling, sealing to edge. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake in 375 degrees F. oven until meringue is lightly browned.

Cool in draft-free area. Chill 3 to 4 hours. Makes one 9-inch pie.

*** RHUBARB CUSTARD PIE Pastry for 9-inch pie shell 11 cups sugar 3 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon orange peel 1 teaspoon allspice 2 eggs, beaten 2 tablespoons cream 3 cups 1-inch pieces rhubarb 2 tablespoons butter or margarine LINE a 9-inch pie plate with pastry. Combine sugar, flour, salt, nutmeg, orange peel and allspice. Add beaten eggs and cream; mix well. Add rhubarb and pour into pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with butter. Pastry strips may be arranged over top in lattice fashion if desired. Bake in 400 degrees F. oven 20 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees F. and bake 25 minutes longer or until custard is firm and pastry is golden brown. Makes one 9-inch pie.

*** SESAME PECAN PIE Pastry for 9-inch pie shell 1 cup sesame seed 3 eggs 3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup melted butter 1 cup light corn syrup 11 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 cup pecan halves LINE a 9-inch pie plate with pastry. Toast sesame seed in 350 degree F. oven 15 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle evenly over bottom of pastry shell.

Beat eggs with rotary beater or electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar, salt, butter, corn syrup and vanilla; continue to beat until well mixed. Gently stir in pecan halves. Pour into pastry. Bake in 350 degree F.

oven 1 hour or until set and pastry is nicely browned. Serve slightly warm or cold. Serves 6 to 8.

*** FRIED PIES 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon cloves 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup shortening 1 tablespoon vinegar 5 tablespoons cold water Filling (see recipes below) Fat for frying Cinnamon sugar SIFT flour, measure and sift again with nutmeg, cloves, salt and soda. With pastry blender or two knives cut shortening into flour until particles are size of peas. Add vinegar and water and mix until dry ingredients are moist.

Chill. Roll out thin and cut into 4-inch squares. Put one tablespoon filling on one half of each pastry square; moisten edges. Fold other half of pastry over filling to form triangle. Seal edges well, pressing with the tines of a fork. Chill. Fry in deep fat, 375 degrees F., until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Makes about 16 pies.

Apple Filling 1 8-oz. pkge. dried apples 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon lemon peel 1 tablespoon sugar SIMMER apples in small amount of water until soft. Drain and mash or cut into small pieces. Combine with remaining ingredients. Cool. Makes filling for 16 pies.

Apricot Filling 1 8-oz. pkge. dried apricots 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon orange peel 1 teaspoon coriander seed, crushed SIMMER apricots in small amount of water until soft. Drain. Cut into small pieces. Combine with remaining ingredients. Cool. This is a tart filling and you may prefer to add more sugar. Makes filling for 16 pies.

PLAIN PASTRY One-Crust 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup shortening 2 tablespoons cold water Two-Crust 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 shortening 4 tablespoons cold water SIFT flour and salt into a bowl. Remove about 1 cup of the mixture and set aside. With pastry blender or two knives, cut in shortening until particles are the size of peas. (For a shorter, richer pastry, increase shortening 1 tablespoon for each cup flour.) Make a paste of the 1 cup flour and water; sprinkle over flour-shortening mixture. Using a fork, quickly blend together until the flour is moistened and can be pressed into a ball -- over-mixing causes pastry to be tough. Roll out on lightly floured board to 1 -inch thickness. Line pie plate. for a baked pastry shell, prick thoroughly with tines of a fork. Bake in 475 degree F. oven 8 minutes or until golden brown.

RASPBERRY CLOUD PIE 2 10-oz. pkges. frozen raspberries, thawed 2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 5 tablespoons melted butter 1 envelope unflavoured gelatine 1 cup cold water 1 teaspoon lemon peel 1 pint heavy cream 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract DRAIN raspberries, reserving 1 cup of the juice. Combine crumbs, sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon and the butter; pat into a 10-inch pie plate. Bake in 375 degrees F. oven 8 to 10 minutes; cool. Soften gelatin in water. Mix the reserved raspberry juice, the remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon and lemon peel and heat to boiling. Remove from heat; add gelatin and stir until melted. Chill until mixture just begins to thicken. Whip cream; add vanilla. Fold raspberries, gelatin mixture and whipped cream together. Pour into pie shell.

Chill. You may decorate with additional whipped cream if desired. Serves 6 to 8.

CHOCOLATE-MACE CREAM PIE 1 baked 9-inch pastry shell 11 cups sugar 1 teaspoon salt 5 tablespoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon flour 1 teaspoon mace 3 cups milk 3 1-oz. squares unsweetened chocolate, melted 3 eggs, separated 1 tablespoon butter 11 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 6 tablespoons sugar BAKE and cool pastry shell. In a saucepan blend together the 11 cups sugar, salt, cornstarch, flour and mace. Gradually stir in milk and melted chocolate.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat.

Gradually stir part of this hot mixture into the lightly beaten egg yolks.

Blend the two mixtures; add butter. Return to heat and continue cooking until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; cool. Stir in vanilla. Pour into pastry shell.

Add cream of tartar to egg whites and beat until peaks form. Add the 6 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat hard 5 minutes. Spoon meringue over top of chocolate filling, being sure to bring meringue to edge of crust.

Bake in 400 degrees F. oven 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Chill several hours before serving. Serves 6 to 8.

*** SWEET POTATO-PECAN PIE Out of the Old South, a memorable pastry Pastry for 9-inch pie shell 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 3 eggs, beaten 11 cups milk 11 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes Pecan topping (see recipe below) LINE 9-inch pie plate with pastry and make a high fluted edge. Mix sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice; stir in eggs, mixing well. Add milk and sweet potatoes and mix thoroughly. Pour into pie shell. Bake in 425 degree F. oven 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300 degrees F. and bake 30 minutes. Cover top of pie with Pecan Topping. Bake 30 minutes longer or until silver knife comes out clean when inserted in centre. Serves 6 to 8.

Pecan Topping 2 tablespoons melted butter 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed 1 cup chopped pecans 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice COMBINE all ingredients; mix well. Spoon over pie.

FESTIVE LIME PIE Ginger Cracker Crust 1 cup finely minced crystallised ginger 11 cups crushed graham crackers 1 cup powdered sugar 1 cup melted butter or margarine Dash nutmeg MIX the finely minced ginger, cracker crumbs and powdered sugar so that the pieces of ginger will be evenly distributed throughout. Add melted butter; mix well. Press mixture into bottom and around sides of 9-inch pie plate; sprinkle with one or two dashes of nutmeg. Bake in 325 degree F. oven 10 minutes. Cool.

Lime Chiffon Filling 1 envelope unflavoured gelatin 2 tablespoons cold water 4 eggs, separated 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup lime juice 1 teaspoon grated lime rind Green food colouring SOFTEN gelatin in cold water. Beat egg yolks in top of double boiler or saucepan. Stir in 1 cup of the sugar, salt and lime juice, mixing well. Cook over boiling water or lowest heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Add gelatin and lime rind. Continue stirring until gelatin melts. Set aside to cool.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and 6 to 8 drops green food colouring. Beat 3 to 4 minutes longer.

Fold the cooled gelatin mixture into egg whites, folding gently but thoroughly. You may also fold in one half cup heavy cream, whipped, if desired. Pour into pie shell and chill. Garnish with paper-thin slices of time. Serves 6 to 8.

*** CRANBERRY CHIFFON PIE 1 baked 10-inch pastry shell 1 envelope unflavoured gelatin 1 cup water 4 eggs, separated 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon orange peel 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 8 drops red food colouring 2 cups crushed raw cranberries 1 pint heavy cream 2 tablespoons powdered sugar BAKE and cool pastry shell. Soften gelatin in 1 cup of the water. Beat egg yolks lightly; mix in the remaining 1 cup water, lemon juice, 1 cup of the sugar and orange peel. Cook in double boiler, stirring, until thick. Add softened gelatin; stir until melted. Set aside to cool.

Add cream of tartar to egg whites and beat until stiff. Gradually beat in the remaining 1 cup sugar. Blend in food colouring. Fold cooled mixture into egg whites, then fold in crushed cranberries. Pour into pie shell; chill until firm. Whip cream, gradually adding powdered sugar. Spread on top of pie before serving. Serves 6 to 8.