Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of a food processor, add the gingersnap cookies and pecans and pulse until they become fine crumbs, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add melted butter and brown sugar and pulse again until the cookie crumbs resemble wet sand, about 30 seconds.

Dump the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan and use clean hands to evenly press the mixture into the bottom and sides of the pan. Sometimes I find it helpful to use a small measuring cup to help set the crust firmly and get the crumbs up the side of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes then remove from the oven; if the crust bubbles up slightly, very gently press it back down with a measuring cup. Allow the crust to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. (The crust will need to be somewhat cool to the touch before you can add the filling.)

In a large bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest and use clean fingers to rub the zest into the sugar for 30 seconds. This will infuse the lemon flavor into the sugar. In the same bowl, add in the eggs, lemon juice, sour cream (or yogurt), cornstarch and salt. Whisk together until well combined.

Pour mixture into the cooled crust. Carefully transfer the pie pan to the oven and bake until the filling is just set, about 30 to 35 minutes; it’s okay if the filling appears to be just slightly jiggly in the center, just make sure it isn’t wet looking. Cool pie at room temperature for 1 hour, then loosely cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge to finish cooling, about 4 hours. Do not worry if the pie cracks, sometimes this happens if you beat the filling too long or if there is a dramatic change in temperature (your house is cold, etc).

Make the whipped cream: Once the pie and filling are cold and you are ready to serve, add heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the bowl of an electric mixer (or use a hand mixer!); beat on high until cream reaches stiff peaks.

Evenly spread whipped cream over pie filling, then garnish with extra lemon zest. Cut into 9 to 12 slices and serve immediately.