Pumpkin Bread Pudding with caramel sauce

I can't say as I'm a big fan of bread puddings as far as bread puddings go, although my whacky friend Michelle makes a mean bread pudding with her whiskey sauce that will give you a buzz in one bite. I don't recommend eating it at the office when you actually plan on working, but it's pretty good.

I am kinda loving this amazing pumpkin bread pudding with caramel sauce. Ooey-Gooey stuff always makes me swoon. And the caramel sauce used to drench this recipe is soooo good. I really like using a mixture of breads for this recipe to change the texture and allowing it to stand for a few minutes before baking will give the pumpkin goodness time to really soak into the bread.

Pumpkin bread pudding & ooey-gooey caramel sauce

bread pudding ingredients:
2 cups half & half
1, 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1 cup (packed) plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 cups 1/2 inch cubed stale french bread and baguettes
1/2 cup chopped pecans

a few tablespoons of maple syrup

ooey-gooey caramel sauce ingredients:
1 1/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup whipping cream

You may want to double or triple the caramel sauce to drown the bread pudding. I won't tell anyone if you lick the spoon.

bread pudding preparation:
preheat oven to 350 degrees. whisk half & half, pumpkin dark brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon & vanilla extract in large bowl to blend. gently fold in bread cubes (you don’t want to stir them so much they turn to mush). stir in raisins & chopped pecans (if you choose to use them). transfer mixture to 11×7 glass baking dish. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of maple syrup. Let mixture stand 15 minutes. then bake pumpkin bread pudding until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

meanwhile, prepare caramel sauce:
whisk brown sugar & butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. whisk in cream until sugar dissolves & sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.

to serve:
Serve the pumpkin bread pudding warm, sift powdered sugar over bread pudding, & drench with warm caramel sauce.

If you need one of those cranes to pull you out of your house, just give me a call. Enjoy!!