These bars are wonderful warm. It's like having a warm gingerbread cookie with pumpkin pie on top. YUMMY!
Bars:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t ground ginger
1/4 t nutmeg
1/8 t ground cloves
2 sticks butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/3 cup rolled quick oats
Filling:
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 small can mashed pumpkin (not pie filling)
1/2 cup sugar
1 t vanilla
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t ground ginger
1/4 t nutmeg
1/8 t ground cloves
2 large eggs
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 T butter or margarine, softened
1/4 t vanilla1 to 2 T milk
Bars:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugar and molasses until creamy. Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Reserve 3/4 cup of this mixture and place in a small bowl. Scoop the remaining mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan lightly coated with cooking spray.Add the oats to the reserved mixture and mix until combined - set aside.
Filling:
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves - mix until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing just until combined. Scoop the mixture over the uncooked base and evenly spread the mixture over the top. Crumble reserved oat mixture over filling.Bake until the topping is a golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
Glaze:
In a small bowl, mix together powdered sugar, butter and vanilla. Mix in just enough milk until the mixture will easily flow from a spoon - drizzle over cooled bars.
Tomorrow's Daily Special: Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies
