Apple Custard Pie

One of my family's favorite fall desserts is this easy but scrumptious apple custard pie that I adapted from a recipe originally found in Taste of Home magazine.  One of my brothers-in-law once commented, "Even the smell of this pie just screams 'fall.' "  I couldn't agree more. :)  It is simply fantastic.

INGREDIENTS:
Pastry for a single-crust pie (store-bought is fine, though I'll be posting my tips for homemade crust soon!)
3 cups peeled, sliced tart apples (about 4 medium)
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

CUSTARD:
1 cup heavy cream (or evaporated milk)
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
(If you like a more "custardy" sort of pie, as I do, double this part of the recipe and fill up the pie crust almost to the top with it.  There will usually be a tad leftover that won't fit into the crust... maybe a few tbsp or so... but I find it worth it. :) It will add about 5-10 min to the second baking time.)

 1) Place unbaked pastry into a deep-dish, 9-inch pie plate.  (Most Pyrex pie plates sold in stores today are deep-dish.)  Arrange apples over the crust. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over apples. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes.
 2) Meanwhile, for custard, whisk milk, egg and sugar in another small bowl until smooth. Pour custard over the partially-cooked apples.

 3)  Bake 25-30 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.

 4)  Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.
Refrigerate leftovers.

Tastes great with a bit of whipped cream on top of each slice.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it! :)
Yield: 6-8 servings.

Notes about apples for baking:  I love baking with Granny Smith apples, and they work very well in this recipe.  If you do use them, however, be sure to slice them pretty thinly so that they will be fully cooked and tender when the custard part is done.  Golden Delicious apples, especially while they are still on the green side, also work well here, as do Empires and Paula/Ida Reds.   Red Delicious apples, despite their name, are NOT delicious in most baking recipes... they're very sweet, and they don't bake up well.  Macintosh work well if combined with other, firmer apples, but I don't usually use them by themselves... they disintegrate too easily when baking.  When combined with two or three other varieties, however, they add a great flavor to apple pies in general.