Place gingersnap cookies in a food processor. Pulse until the crumbs are fine and uniform in size.
Combine gingersnap crumbs and melted butter. Stir with a fork, then with your hands, coat the crumbs until the butter is even in distribution.
Spread the crumbs even across the bottom of the pie plate. With your hands, a tart tamper, or the back and side of a small measuring cup, press the cookie mixture firm into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Reserve extra crumbs to garnish the pie, then refrigerate the pie plate for 10 minutes.
On the center oven rack, bake the crust for 10 minutes. When the timer sounds, the crust will be soft but will firm once cooled on a wire rack.
Autumn Spice Cream Filling
Place a large bowl with a coarse sieve fitted on top alongside cut butter and vanilla.
In a medium saucepan, whisk sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, and salt together. Whisk in the milk, evaporated milk, and egg yolks. Run a spatula along the corners and bottom of the saucepan, making sure the mixture is well combined.
Place the saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk nonstop until the mixture boils and thickens, about 7 minutes. Continue stirring for 1 minute. Remove from heat and strain through a course sieve over the large bowl. Whisk in butter, one piece at a time until melted. Whisk in the vanilla. Let mixture cool for 5 minutes, stirring often, then pour into the cooled pie plate and smooth with a spatula or spoon.
Here are few options for preventing a skin from forming:Press a piece of plastic over the surface (leaving as little gaps or air pockets) of the pie. Glide a piece of butter across the surface of the pie or a light coat of vegetable spray, then press an unbleached piece of parchment paper (leaving as little gaps or air pockets) of the pie.Place the pie on a wire rack and let cool, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Spice Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
About 15 minutes before ready to serve, chill a medium (preferably glass) bowl and the beaters from your electric mixer in the freezer.
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and spices at medium-low to high speed as it starts to thicken. Beat just until stiff peaks form. Avoid over beating, as past stiff peaks the whipped cream will begin to deflate.
Pipe or spread whipped cream over the pie. Slice, bite, and fall deeply in love.
Nyackers was weighed and used in the crust. I purchase after the holidays for a screaming deal at World Market.
The crust can be made the day before, cooled, and covered.
The holidays are busy, a store bought crust can be used and filled too.
Filling
if making a cream pie for the first time: at about the seven minute mark, you'll feel the vanilla cream change or thicken, while still over heat, stir quickly for one full minute. If the cream bubbles too much, either lift the pot slightly while continuing to stir or reduce the heat a little.
at times the pie tastes best once out of the fridge for about 5-10 minutes. Other times, we fork it right out and it's perfect too!
Whipped Cream
for the best whipped cream, use a medium-sized deep glass bowl.
place the bowl and beaters in the freezer for a minimum of fifteen minutes.
whipped cream can be made early, covered, and refrigerated for up to a few hours.