Pumpkin Bars

Crust:

• 1½ Cups Quick Cooking Oats
• 1¼ Cups Flour (white or whole wheat)
• ¾ Cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ soda
• ¾ cup butter, at room temperature

Filling

• 2 cups pumpkin puree (16 oz can)
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

Combine oats, flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 1/2 teaspoon salt, baking soda and butter; beat until mixture is crumbly. Reserve about 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture and press remaining mixture into a lightly buttered 13x9 inch baking pan. Bake at 375ºF for 10 minutes.
Prepare filling. Beat filling ingredients until well blended and smooth. spread filling over the crust; sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Return to oven and bake 25 minutes longer.   Cool completely before cutting into bars.

To make pumpkin pie spice mix: 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground all spice.