Pumpkin Ginger Bars--Maggie Recipe

Directions:

1. Pumpkin Ginger Bars
2. Makes 28 bars
3. For Crust:
4. Gingersnap cookies (I like Sweetzels brand), crushed in a food processor
5. /2 cup butter, melted
6. /8 cup brown sugar
7. For Caramel layer:
8. Bags Werthers classic chewy caramels
9. /2 cup milk
10. Tbsp butter
11. For Pumpkin filling:
12. Oz. can pumpkin puree
13. Oz can sweetened condensed milk
14. Eggs, lightly beaten
15. /2 tsp salt
16. Tbsp cinnamon
17. Tsp vanilla
18. /2 tsp nutmeg
19. /8 cup molasses
20. Method:
21. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a 13 x 9 in. pan (glass
22. Works especially well).
23. Combine the cookie crumbs, butter, and brown sugar in a small bowl.
24. Dump the mixture into the greased pan and distribute evenly over the
25. Bottom. The mixture will be very crumbly but dont worry. Press it
26. Down lightly with your hands and make sure the crust extends to the
27. Edges of the pan.
28. Bake the crust blind for 10 minutes in the 425 degree oven to help
29. It firm up. Dont let it get too brown!
30. Unwrap caramels and place in a bowl over a pot of simmering water
31. To melt. Add 1/2 cup milk and 3 tbsp butter to the bowl. Once caramels
32. Have melted, stir the mixture until it is fully incorporated and keep
33. It over the double boiler to remain warm.
34. When the crust is ready, pour the caramel mixture over the crust
35. And spread delicately to distribute it evenly over the crusts
36. Surface. It will be thin, but there is exactly enough.
37. Combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over the
38. Caramel, again distributing the filling evenly.
39. E. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 then lower oven to 350 and finish
40. Cooking for 35 more minutes. Bars are done when the top feels firm and
41. The filling no longer jiggles in the center.
42. Note: I recommend letting these cool to room temp before slicing them,
43. And when you do slice them, make sure you use a sharp knife and press
44. Down firmly- the bottom crust is very dense. Additionally, I would
45. Refridgerate these, or they will be incredibly chewy. The fridge makes
46. The crust crunchy rather than chewy and I tend to find them even
47. Better this way.