PRETZEL NUT CRUST

makes enough for one 9” pie
 
4 cups (6 ounces) pretzels (I use mini twists)
½ cup (2 ounces) of pecans OR walnuts, toasted
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar*
7- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
 
Spritz your pie plate with a little non-stick vegetable oil spray.
 
Pulse the pretzels in the food processor until finely ground (not like sawdust; leave a little bit of texture) or place them in a sealable plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Transfer the pretzels to a medium mixing bowl. Pulse the toasted pecans or walnuts in the food processor until fine; add to the pretzel crumbs. Add the brown sugar to the crumb mixture and toss to combine; reserve one tablespoon of the melted butter. Add 7 tablespoons of melted butter to the mixture and mix thoroughly; it should feel like wet sand. If it feels too dry, add the reserved tablespoon of melted butter. Transfer the crumbs to your pie plate and use your fingers to pat the mixture evenly around the sides and across the bottom of the pie plate. Place the filled pie plate in the freezer to firm up for 10 minutes. Heat your oven to 325 degrees. Place the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 8-10 minutes, just long enough to set the crust. Let the pie crust cool completely before filling.
 
*Note: I prefer to keep this on the salty side but you can certainly adjust by adding one or even two more tablespoon(s) of brown sugar.