Spiced Gingersnap Pie Crust

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). This ensures it's ready to go when your crust is assembled.

Measure out about 12 to 18 whole gingersnap cookies and set them aside. You'll use these later to decorate the edge of the crust.

Place the remaining gingersnap cookies in a sturdy zip-top bag or a food processor. Crush them into very fine, even crumbs. You'll need about 1 ½ cups of crumbs. If you have more, you can save the extra for another recipe.

In a medium bowl, combine the gingersnap crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter. Stir until the mixture looks like wet sand and holds together when pinched.

Pour the crumb mixture into a 9-inch springform pan. Use the bottom of a glass or your fingers to press it firmly and evenly across the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan. Make sure it's compact for a sturdy crust.

Now for the decorative border. Take the whole gingersnap cookies you set aside and stand them upright around the inner edge of the pan, pressing them gently into the crust base so they stand securely. You can overlap them slightly if needed.

Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 7 minutes, just until the crust is set and fragrant. Be careful not to overbake.

Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack. This is an important step—it needs to be fully cooled before you add any filling, like cheesecake or custard.