Ginger-y Fun

Growing up my mom used to make pumpkin pie with gingerbread crust each year for Thanksgiving. While I've gotten pretty good at her pumpkin pie recipe, I've always used a store bought crust to make things easier. At least until this year, when I decided to go all out. I used this Martha Stewart recipe, and while I'm not sure the exact one my mom used, it did taste pretty similar.

Gingersnap Crust
Ingredients
10 oz gingersnaps
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon water (if necessary)

Directions
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse your cookies till crumbs. (You'll want about 1 3/4 cups.)
2. Mix together crumbs, sugar, flour, and salt.
3. Pour in the melted butter, and mix together. Press some of the mixture against the side of the bowl to test it out. If it doesn't hold together add up to 1 tablespoon of water. (Or you could be like me and not read the directions and add 3 tablespoons of water, but it thankfully worked out.)
4. Press crumbs into a 9-inch pie plate. Freeze for 10 minutes. Place on a baking sheet and bake till set, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
I made my crust on Tuesday, and then the filling on Wednesday, so I let it cool for about 24 hours before using it. Of course I was planning on linking my standard pumpkin pie recipe here, but while I've posted the pies I've made (here and here), I don't seem to have shared the recipe. And since I didn't take step-by-step photos, I'm going to leave you all in suspense till next year!

Do you have a specific Thanksgiving dessert you make every year?

Gingersnap Crust
Ingredients
10 oz gingersnaps
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon water (if necessary)

Directions
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse your cookies till crumbs.
2. Mix together crumbs, sugar, flour, and salt.
3. Pour in the melted butter, and mix together. Press some of the mixture against the side of the bowl to test it out. If it doesn't hold together add up to 1 tablespoon of water.
4. Press crumbs into a 9-inch pie plate. Freeze for 10 minutes. Place on a baking sheet and bake till set, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.