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1
Preheat oven to 350F.
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2
Melt butter.
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3
Into a food processor break crackers and finely grind.
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4
With motor running, add butter.
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5
Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up side of a 9 1/2-inch (5-cup) pie plate and bake in middle of oven 6 to 8 minutes, or until shell is a shade darker.
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6
Cool shell on a rack.
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7
In a shallow baking pan toast pistachios in middle of oven 5 minutes, or until a shade darker.
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8
Reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons pistachios for sprinkling on pie and finely chop remainder.
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9
In a saucepan dissolve sugar in milk over moderate heat, stirring, and remove pan from heat.
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10
In a metal bowl whisk milk mixture and vanilla into halvah until halvah is dissolved.
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11
Set bowl with halvah mixture in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and cool mixture, stirring occasionally.
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12
In a bowl beat cream until it just holds stiff peaks.
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13
Fold cream and chopped pistachios into halvah mixture and pour into shell.
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14
Freeze pie, uncovered, 1 hour.
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15
Sprinkle reserved pistachios over pie.
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16
Freeze pie, uncovered, until frozen hard, about 4 hours.
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17
Pie may be made 2 days ahead and frozen, covered with plastic wrap and foil after 5 hours.
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18
Let pie stand at room temperature about 15 minutes to slightly soften (for ease of cutting) before serving.
