Pumpkin Pie Spectacular

9" piecrust (I usually make my own but in a pinch I use the refrigerated ones and just spread it into the pie plate)

2 c crushed gingersnaps (about 40 gingersnaps)

1 c pecans, finely chopped

½ c powdered sugar

¼ c butter, melted

1 (15-oz) can pumpkin

1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 large eggs, beaten

½ c sour cream

1 t ground cinnamon

½ t vanilla extract

¼ t ground ginger

Pecan Streusel (recipe follows)

            

Stir all of the following ingredients together:

            ¼ c all purpose flour

            ¼ c firmly packed dark brown sugar

            2 T melted butter

            ¾ c pecans, coarsely chopped

7 thin ginger cookies, halved (I use Anna's Ginger Thins – available at most Kroger,

    Tuesday Morning, Walgreens & Target stores)

Ginger-Spice Topping, ground cinnamon (recipe follows)

            Stir all of the following ingredients together:

            1 8-oz cool whip, thawed

            ¼ t ground cinnamon

            ¼ t ground ginger

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Fit piecrust into a 9" deep-dish pie plate; fold edges under and crimp.

2.  Stir together crushed gingersnaps and next 3 ingredients (finely-chopped pecans, ½ c powdered sugar and melted butter).  Press mixture on bottom and ½" up sides of piecrust.

3.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Let cool completely on a wire rack (about 30 minutes).

4.  Stir together pumpkin and next 6 ingredients until well blended.  Pour into prepared crust.  Place pie on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.

5.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle Pecan Streusel around edge of crust.  Bake 40-45 minutes or until set, shielding edges with aluminum foil during the last 25-30 minutes of baking if necessary.  (Really you should have the pie crust shields, either silicone or aluminum, that they sell for this purpose and use them instead!)

Insert ginger cookies around edge of crust.  Let cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour).  Dollop with Ginger-Spice Topping; dust with cinnamon.