Festive dessert squares with an oat shortbread crust and nut-crumble topping enrobing a lusciously spiced and bourbon-spiked sweet potato filling.

Spirited Southern Sweet Potato Bars

2 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups mashed cooked sweet potato or canned pumpkin
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract (optional)
1 cup chopped pecans

1. Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
2. In large bowl, combine oats and flour; mix well. Remove 2/3 cup and add salt and red pepper; set aside for filling. To remaining oat-flour mixture, add butter, granulated sugar and vanilla; blend with electric mixer on low to medium speed until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup for topping. Press remaining mixture evenly onto bottom of prepared pan.
3. Bake 15 minutes; remove pan from oven. In separate bowl, combine sweet potato, eggs, brown sugar, bourbon and reserved 2/3 cup oat-flour mixture; mix well. Spread filling over warm crust. Add nuts to reserved topping mixture; mix well. Sprinkle evenly over sweet potato filling.
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until topping is light golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack; cut into bars. Serve at room temperature. Store in refrigerator tightly covered.

Makes 32 bars.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 bar): Calories 160, Calories From Fat 80, Total Fat 9g, Saturated Fat 4g, Cholesterol 30mg, Sodium 65mg, Total Carbohydrates 18g, Dietary Fiber 1g, Protein 2g, Total Sugars 9g.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of The Quaker Oats Company.