Pumpkin Bars

1 cup flour, sifted
1/2 cup oatmeal, quick rolled
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 (13 oz.) can evaporated milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves

Mix flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, and butter until crumbly on low speed. Press into a 9x13 pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour onto cooked crust. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Topping
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
whipped cream

Mix pecans, brown sugar, and butter together. Sprinkle over the pumpkin. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the pumpkin is set. Cool in pan. Top with whipped cream.

from Bobbie Shelley of the Three Fountains Ward

I made these yummy treats today. I like them because they have a pretty substantial crust. I didn't use pecans in the topping, since Mabel is allergic to tree nuts (and we don't really like nuts in general at our house), but I think they would add a nice crunch. I just realized, though, that while all of these pumpkin treats are good, they are really just substitutes for the ultimate treat-- Marie Callender's pumpkin pie. They are good, but they aren't the pie.