Layered Pumpkin Gingerbread With Hot Caramel Sauce

This is a wonderful recipe...it has a pale crispy cookie base, topped by a delicately flavored pumpkin cake..Hot caramel sauce in an absolutely marvelous addition...

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 9

Ingredients

• CAKE

• 2 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
• 2⁄3 cup  cold butter
• 3⁄4 cup  finely chopped pecans
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup molasses
• 1⁄2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1  large egg
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract

• SAUCE

• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 1 1⁄4 cups  packed light brown sugar
• 2  tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1  cup half-and-half
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. preheat oven to 350*.
2. (If using a glass dish, lower heat to 325*).
3. In large mixer bowl, combine flour and sugar. cut in butter so that the mixture resembles coarse fine crumbs.
4. (You may also do the first 2 steps in a food processor. add the pecans and blend.
5. Press 1 1/4 cups of the mixture firmly into an ungreased 9x9 baking pan.
6. Set aside.
7. To the remaining crumbs, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well, pour evenly over the cookie base.
8. Bake 40 minutes, or until the crust is firm and a tester comes out clean. Meanwhile, amke the sauce.
9. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat.
10. Add the brown sugar and corn syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the sugar dissolves, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.
11. Add the half and half, return to a boil, and remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla. Serve the warm gingerbread, cut into squares, with the hot caramel sauce over.