The heavenly smell of an apple pie baking in the oven has to be one of the truly luscious memories of autumn. (And they say the aroma can even help to sell a house!) Nothing evokes the sweet pleasures of the season like home-baked apple pie, and this traditional recipe is a true classic.

Sometimes the simplest, most time-honored recipes are the best. We are proud to present this quintessential apple pie.

INGREDIENTS
Dough for top and bottom pie crust
2 1/2 pounds baking apples, peeled, quartered, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Toss together the apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice in a bowl.

2. Leaving half the dough in the fridge, roll out the other half on a lightly-floured surface to a 12-inch diameter circle. Place in pie plate and press gently into place. Trim edges.

3. Place apple mixture in pie plate and dot with pieces of butter. Brush dough edges with water. Roll out other half of dough to a 10-inch circle and place over apples. Pinch edges together and crimp to make a pretty border.

4. Roll out pastry scraps and cut out decorative pieces for the top, if you like. In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolk and cream and brush it over the top crust. With a sharp knife, make several slits in the top crust.

5. Bake 25 minutes at 400F, then reduce heat to 350F and continue baking another 20 minutes or so until apples are tender. Transfer pie to a wire rack and allow to cool at least 20 minutes. Serve warm or room-temperature.

Serves 8.