Pumpkin Gingerbread With Caramel Sauce - cooking recipe

Ingredients

For the Gingerbread
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon clove
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup light molasses
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned ok)
1 egg
For the Sauce
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup whipping cream
For Optional Garnish
vanilla ice cream (optional)
toasted chopped pecans (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F.
Mix together flour and sugar.
Use a pastry blender to mix in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
In a 9-inch square baking pan, place 1 3/4 cups of the mixture and press evenly along the bottom to form a crust.
Add pecans, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and cloves to crumb mixture and stir well.
Mix in buttermilk, molasses, pumpkin and egg.
Pour batter on top of crust in the baking pan.
Bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick in the center and it is clean when you remove it.
To prepare sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the brown sugar and corn syrup.
Stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil, and cook for 1 minute or until sugar dissolves.
Gradually add whipping cream and return to a boil.
Remove from heat.
To serve, spoon warm sauce over warm gingerbread.
If desired, place ice cream on top of gingerbread, spoon sauce over ice cream, and sprinkle with nuts.