Pumpkin Bread Pudding With Gingered Crème Anglaise

By lisapearce

Ingredients

• 4 cups - white bread, dry, stale or day-old, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 4 - eggs
• 3 - egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups - milk
• 1 1/2 cups - heavy cream
• 3/4 cup - canned pumpkin puree
• 1 cup - Domino® Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 tsp. - salt
• 1 tbsp. - rum or brandy
• 1/4 tsp. - nutmeg
• 1 tsp. - cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. - cloves, ground
• 2 tbsp. - butter, cold, cut into tiny pieces
• Crème Anglaise Ingredients
• 1 cup - milk
• 1 cup - heavy cream
• 2 tsp. - ground ginger
• 1 tsp. – vanilla
• 5 - egg yolks
• 1/2 cup - Domino® Granulated Sugar

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Arrange bread cubes in pan.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all pudding ingredients, except butter. Pour mixture evenly over bread cubes. Let sit for 10 minutes to make sure bread is soaked and well-coated.

Top with butter pieces, and bake 40 to 50 minutes. Pudding should be set in center: do not over bake. Remove from oven, and divide evenly into serving dishes. Serve warm with topping.


Crème Anglaise Instructions:

In a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat milk, cream, ginger and vanilla until mixture is hot and begins to boil slightly, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

While mixture is heating, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until smooth. Slowly pour 1/3 cup of hot milk mixture into egg yolks, whisking constantly. This is to temper the mixture so that the eggs do not cook when combining two temperatures. Gradually add egg yolk mixture back to remaining milk mixture in pot, whisking constantly. Return pot to the stove, and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Do not boil, or sauce may curdle*. Set aside, uncovered. Pour over warm pudding, and serve.

Serves 8 to 10.

Quick Tip

No stale bread? Dry bread cubes on a cookie sheet in 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

When baking, pudding edges will puff up higher on the sides, but will deflate once it's removed from the oven.

*If disaster should strike and the custard curdles, remove from stove and whirl in a blender. As hot liquids tend to splash, be careful the hot custard does not splash out of the blender while blending.

To store, cover and chill separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Reheat just before serving.