The Autumn Table....A Decadent Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Estelle's Mosaic

Ask yourself....does it smell good, taste good, feel good and sound good? You bet it does! The autumn season has begun and there are countless baking ideas to serve your family and company. The days begin to get a little shorter, cool evenings beg us to light the fire, walk among the leaves and wish upon the harvest moon. What is your favorite recipe in which to use all of the deliciously divine pumpkins? Estelle's always has pumpkin bread, bread pudding and cheesecake tartlets on the menu, so if you have never tried your hand at making a good bread pudding, this one is worth the time! It just may be comfort food at it's best.

Decadent Pumpkin Bread Pudding

7 1⁄2 Ounce pumpkin puree

6 Ounce evaporated milk

12 Ounce coconut milk

4 each large eggs

1 1⁄2 Cup dark brown sugar

1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon

1⁄2 Teaspoon ground nutmeg

1⁄4 Teaspoon ground cloves

1⁄4 Teaspoon ground ginger

1 Teaspoon salt

8 Ounce french bread loaf

1⁄2 Cup chocolate chips

1⁄4 Cup golden raisins

Bourbon Anglaise Sauce

2 Cup heavy cream

1⁄2 Cup granulated sugar

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Teaspoon egg yolk

1⁄2 Cup bourbon

The Pudding

In a bowl combine the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, coconut milk and eggs together and mix well.
 In another bowl combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger and salt together and mix well.
 Combine the puree mixture and brown sugar mixture together and blend well. Set aside until needed. You may leave mixture at room temperature for up to 2 hours.

 Prepare an 8" x 8" baking dish with spray grease. Slice the French bread into 1/2" thick cubes and place them into the prepared baking dish. Pour about 3/4 of pumpkin custard mixture over the French bread.
The French bread will float on the pumpkin custard so you will need to gently push down on the bread slices to force the custard mixture to soak into the bread. As the custard soaks into the bread you may add the remaining custard mixture to the pan.When the custard has completely soaked into the bread, sprinkle the chocolate chips and raisins over the top and gently press into the bread. Spray the top of the bread pudding with spray grease and cover with tin foil.

Preheat oven to 400°. The bread pudding will need to be baked in a water bath in order to distribute the heat evenly. Place bread pudding dish in a larger size pan or dish. Fill the larger baking dish with about 1" of water. Place the pan in the center of the center rack and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350° and continue to bake for another 20 minutes or until the center of the bread pudding is slightly firm and there is no liquid present. Remove from the oven and let the bread pudding cool for 45 minutes.
Serve immediately or chill and serve when ready.

The Bourbon Anglaise Sauce

 Combine the heavy cream, 1/4 cup of sugar and vanilla extract together in a sauce pan and heat to just before boiling.

In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar and egg yolks together; mix well. When the heavy cream is scalded remove 1 cup and gradually stir it into the egg yolk mixture Then pour the egg yolk mixture back into the pan with the remaining heavy cream. Whip vigorously over medium heat until sauce becomes thick (consistency should be similar to caramel sauce). Remove the sauce from the heat, strain and chill until completely cold, about 1 hour. Stir in the bourbon well. Serve or cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.