The Covered Dish - Ginger Pumpkin Pie

Well; I promised pumpkin this week, and pumpkin it shall be!  I went back a few years tonight, as I visited some of my old archives.  I had planned a brand-new recipe, but someone forgot to go get an orange at the grocery store!  And..it wasn’t me either!   So, change the attack plan, right?  This pumpkin pie is definitely one of my favorite versions of pumpkin pie.  Perhaps, it’s because I am a big fan of ginger snaps.  You are probably going to give this recipe a look over and realize there are ‘once again’, many ways to adapt my recipe out to different flavors of pies.  
Tonight, I got home from work around 6pm, made tacos for supper and then dove into more prep work for the weekend back in my hometown of Lewistown, MO.  
I made about 20 breakfast wraps; half went back home and the other half stayed here.  This time I filled them with eggs, cheese, sausage, onion, spinach, tater tots and a teaspoon of salsa.    This way there’s not a great deal of mess around when we go back home to clean and pack.  This weekend we are traveling in different vehicles and coming and going at different times.  I also prepared fresh ice tea, a marinated cucumber salad, cleaned the kitchen, did about 3 loads of laundry, research, and got the column written early.    When I finally hit the hay, I will feel good about having things done ahead of time.  
Speaking of ahead of time, I would like to give a few hints for the early bird Christmas shoppers out there.   There are several sites which have ‘huge’ clearances going on.   Hit it now for some of those holiday gifts.  I plan on doing so myself, in the next few days. Christmas exchanges, secret pals, nieces and nephews, oh yes, it’s a good time to get some of those things done ahead of time.
I'm putting up a few pieces of fall décor that will hold me until I return on Monday.  Then we'll do a bit more.   I still haven't gotten a pot of apple butter made.  It may have to wait until middle of next week.   Never enough hours in the day.   
Let me post the recipe and call it a full evening, on the home-front.  I hope you give this recipe a try, I don’t think you will be disappointed!


Ginger Pumpkin Pie
1 9-inch-deep dish pie crust of choice
Bottom Layer:
1/8 cup chopped pecans
(6) 2 1/2-inch ginger snaps, finely crumbled
1 tablespoon praline flavoring or maple extract
Filling
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
3/4 cup apple butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
5 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
Pinch of salt
Streusel Topping
3 tablespoons butter, cold
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
(4) 2 1/2-inch ginger snaps, finely crumbled
2 teaspoons praline flavoring or maple extract
Any remaining bottom layer crumble
Prepare the pie crust.  Next, mix the ingredients for the bottom layer and sprinkle 5 tablespoons over the bottom of the prepared pie crust.  This helps to keep the crust from becoming soggy.  Set aside the remaining crumb mixture to add to the top mixture later.
In a large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs; add buttermilk and the remaining ingredients.  Pour over the bottom layer of the crumbs.  Bake in a 425-degree F oven for about 30 minutes with the crust covered.  While the pie is baking, make the streusel by cutting the cold butter into the dry ingredients of the streusel.  It will resemble coarse crumbs.  
After the 30 minutes of baking lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and sprinkle on the topping.  Continue baking until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove the cover on the crust to brown edges to the degree your family likes best.  Serves 8-10 persons.  YUM