This Gingersnap Pie is what happens when a holiday cookie meets a holiday pie. With the warming flavor of ginger throughout, this pie has a flaky crust, a thin layer of white chocolate for an added hit of sweetness, and a ginger cookie filling that’s crisp on the top but chewy in the middle. There’s crystallized ginger mixed into the dough for an extra bite of heat. This is perfect for cold nights, for the holidays, or when you want something delicious and simple. Top with a scoop of ice cream for extra sweetness.
Christmas pie has kind of become my thing in recent years–not because I challenged myself to make 52 pies this year, but because it brings a little something different to the table. That doesn’t mean I don’t love making Christmas cookies though. I will go all out for cookies. So combining cookies and pie? I just couldn’t resist.
This gingersnap filling is crispy on the outside with a wonderful chew in the middle, and it pairs surprisingly well with a pie crust. Normally, I dip my gingersnap cookies into white chocolate, so I wanted to include it in this pie and a thin layer between the cookie and the crust does just the trick. Also, if you haven’t noticed by now, I just really love crystallized ginger. It brings that extra punch of heat and ginger flavor that makes this pie so delicious.
Of course, if you don’t want to make your own pie crust, there is also the option to use a pre-made crust or pie dough. If you go that route, making the cookie is pretty straightforward (well, there is making the brown butter, but once you have that ready to go, it’s not too daunting moving forward).
I highly recommend slicing this while it’s still a bit warm and topping with a scoop of ice cream. Vanilla will work great, but eggnog ice cream gives the pie that extra boost of holiday flavor.
Of course, you can eat it without the scoop as well. Either way, it’s spicy and comforting and absolutely delicious!
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 55-60 minutes |
| Passive Time | 1 hour |
| Servings |
servings
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- 300 grams all purpose four
- 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp vodka
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ice water as needed
- 310 grams all purpose flour (about 2 cups scooped straight from the bag)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 113 grams brown butter (113 grams before browning)
- 175 grams light brown sugar (3/4 cup, packed)
- 55 grams granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
- 1 egg large
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 80 grams molasses (1/4 cup)
- 56 grams crystallized ginger
- 60 grams granulated sugar (for rolling the cookie dough in)
- 1 recipe All Butter Pie Crust* (above)
- 65 grams white chocolate melted
Ingredients
All Butter Pie Crust*
Gingersnap Pie
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- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add in the cubes of butter and toss in the dry ingredients to coat. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until you're left with mostly pea sized chunks of butter covered in flour. Using a knife, stir in the vodka and the apple cider vinegar. Add in the ice water 1-2 Tbsp at a time, stirring with the knife until big chunks start to form (this should take about 4-6 Tbsp). Use your hands to form the dough into a ball (if there are still dry bits, sprinkle a little bit of water over them until you can pull all the dough together). Flatten into a disc and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Lightly flour your work surface and the top of your pastry. Roll out the chilled dough until it is 1/4" thick. It should be large enough so that when you place it in your pie dish, there will be some overhang.
- Using a rolling pin, transfer the dough to your prepared pie dish. Gently press the dough into the bottom of the dish and the sides--lift up the dough to help it drop into the bottom rather than pressing and stretching. Trim any excess overhang, leaving about 1 inch over the top of the pie dish. Fold back the edges and crimp as desired. Dock the bottom and the sides of the pastry with a fork. Return the pie dish to the fridge for 30 minutes-1 hour until the pastry is chilled solid (10-15 minutes in the freezer should do this as well).
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a large baking sheet on the lower rack of the oven. Once your pie crust has chilled so that the pastry is firm and solid, line with a crumpled up piece of parchment paper. Weigh down the parchment with pie weights--if you don't have pie weights, you can also use dried beans or dried rice to keep the dough from puffing up and from slipping down the sides--enough to cover the whole bottom and up the sides of the dish. Place the crust on the baking sheet and bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 20-22 minutes. Remove the parchment and the weights. Return the crust to the for an additional 5-10 minutes. It should be mostly cooked through but still a bit under baked. Let the crust cool about until room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
- Brown the butter: Cut your butter evenly into cubes and line them on the bottom of a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, melt the butter. The butter will bubble and splatter a bit, but as the water escapes, you'll see the bubbles get smaller and the butter will get foamy and start to darken in the middle. This should take about 5 minutes but depending on your butter it may take more or less time. Remove the pan from the heat and swirl for 15 seconds. It should start to smell a bit nutty and the color of the butter will be noticeably darker. Pour the butter into a small bowl or ramekin and stick in the freezer for ten minutes to keep it from cooking. There will be brown grainy bits at the bottom, you want to scrape all of that out of the pot--that's where most of the flavor comes from.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer or a wooden spoon, beat the butter, light brown sugar, and 55 grams of granulated sugar at a medium speed until fully combined. Add the egg and mix until fully combined and light in color. Add the vanilla and the molasses, one at a time. Mix at medium speed to combine after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl 1/2 at a time. Mix until the dough just begins to come together. Add in the crystallized ginger and mix on low until evenly distributed.
- Pour 1/4 cup of granulated sugar into a small bowl. Form the ginger dough into a giant ball and roll in the sugar until covered all around.
- Spread the melted white chocolate over the bottom of the pie crust. Press the dough evenly into the crust, making sure it reaches the sides. Place on a large baking sheet and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes. The top of the pie will be firm and golden and the inside should still be a bit soft. Leave to cool completely before slicing.
*You can also use a pre-made pie crust if desired.