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1
Pour pecans into a blender; grind into a meal.
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2
Whisk pecan meal, 1/3 cup brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl. Rub in butter with your fingers until mixture resembles a coarse meal and a few pea-sized pieces remain. Drizzle beaten egg over butter mixture; mix gently with a fork until dough comes together.
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3
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Form dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 2 hours.
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4
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
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5
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 10-inch crust. Transfer to an 8-inch baking dish. Cover crust with a piece of parchment paper; fill with pie weights.
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6
Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let crust cool.
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7
Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add sweet potatoes, cover, and steam until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Strain into a bowl; mash until smooth.
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8
Combine 8 ounces plus 6 ounces cream cheese and 1 cup brown sugar in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Beat in mashed sweet potatoes and sour cream. Add cinnamon and ginger.
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9
Split vanilla bean lengthwise with the tip of a sharp knife. Holding the pod open, scrape seeds from each half using the flat side of your knife. Beat seeds into the cream cheese mixture.
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10
Pour cream cheese mixture into the cooled crust.
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11
Bake in the preheated oven until center is set, about 1 hour. Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
