With Julie Geary
The most important part of the pie is the filling and as long as you have a decent crust the results will be what anybody will expect from a home made apple pie. The filling for this recipe goes back over a century to Julie Geary’s Great Grandmother who lived and made pies in Gloucester. In fact the tradition of great homemade baking has included her mother, Grandmother and many Aunts along the way.
There are a few tips and techniques to pass along with this pie. First, to save time you can buy a refrigerated, pre-made crust. There are several varieties and Julie has tried every one but has found that the Pillsbury is the best. (Note: As a policy brand names are not mentioned unless the Chef has a decided preference, such as in this case.)
The filling for the pie is made using 8 apples and in this video version of the pie half the apples are Granny Smith and the other half are Fuji. Granny Smith apples have a more tart taste and have less moisture to release during cooking. Also, they will hold their taste longer into the season so by Christmas time and later you may want to use all Granny Smith apples, which is what Julie often does herself.
The 8 apples should weigh about 2 and a half pounds and after you add the sugar, flour and spices the entire filling should weigh about 3 pounds. After placing the bottom crust and adding the filling to the pie dish be sure to press the filling down slightly so that when it shrinks during cooking the piecrust will not fall and probably crack. Lastly, the secret ingredient in the pie is butter – 4 or 5 pieces of butter on top of the filling before placing the top crust over it.
