Pumpkin challah bread pudding w/hot buttered rum sauce

By á-39535

dessert

Ingredients

• Pudding:
• 1 loaf (about 1 lb) rich egg bread such as challah, cut into large, 1'' cubes (bread can be day-old)
• 1 (15-oz) can of organic pumpkin purée (such as Farmer's Market) or regular pumpkin purée
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2-1/2 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Sauce:
• 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 Tbsp dark rum

Preparation

Step 1

1.Preheat oven to 350°F.

2.Whisk milk, pumpkin purée, both sugars, vanilla, eggs, spices, and salt. Add the bread cubes and stir together. Gently fold in the golden raisins and chopped pecans. Pour ingredients into a large rectangular baking pan. Allow bread to soak for 10-30 minutes.

3.Place pan in oven and bake until toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 50 minutes. Bread pudding should be moist, so be careful not to overcook.

4.To prepare the sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan and gently whisk in the heavy cream and brown sugar. Let the mixture just come to a boil. Let cool for 1 minute and add the rum. The rum sauce can be made up to two days ahead of time. Reheat until just warm.

5.When ready to serve, cut the bread pudding into squares and drizzle the hot buttered rum sauce over the top. Garnish with whipped cream topping if desired.