Warm Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Thursday, December 13, 2012

This recipe is so amazing I wrote out the recipe for you here. This one, rather, showcases a few different plating options.

I know, I know. Those of you who bake are focused on Christmas cookies and whatnot. I get it, having already made a batch of dark chocolate biscotti myself for a cookie swap. Regardless, winter squash still abounds here in New England and Cucurbitaceae remain a regular dinner component. (And not just for me, either: check out the fabulous meals my students made this week.) So I don’t care if it’s December or not: pumpkin bread pudding is a to-die-for dessert that is truly divine, and I simply must tell you more about it.

Oh, and I couldn’t decide on the right plating, so I’m also including two other options for your viewing pleasure, as it’s really a matter of style. Here’s the second.

This glorious recipe is from Bon Appétit via Epicurious. I already used the phrase “to-die-for”—what else is there to say? Well, let’s just put it this way: I’m really not a big bread pudding fan, at all. To this day, I’ve only had it a few times in my life, actually. My inspiration for making this dish stemmed from my leftover freshly roasted pumpkin that I had used in a soup. Maybe it’s the fresh gourd that is the real star in the dessert. Or perhaps co-star, as the caramel is among the best I’ve ever made (and I’ve tried many different recipes). Here’s another photo.

(Sorry for being such a food porn pusher today. I can’t help myself.)

I did make a few changes to this recipe, as I’m wont to do when I bake. Mainly, I used a gorgeous loaf of whole wheat bread from the farmers’ market: I served it at a post-Thanksgiving dinner party and my guest had no idea. Wouldn’t necessarily work as well with a more delicately flavored pudding, but with the robust flavors of pumpkin and fall spices, a hearty whole grain bread is just perfect. And it makes me feel a whole (groan) lot better about eating such a starchy dessert. Also, I only made half a recipe to make sure my husband and I weren’t eating bread pudding all week long (as scrumptious as that would be). Don’t forget to add a little vanilla extract to your whipped cream, either, and do feel free to add a soupçon of bourbon or rum to your caramel if you’re so inclined. (That’s what I usually do, though I was out this time; the tee totaler version is just lovely, I just like bourbon in baking.)

Finally, as pretty as these pictures are, they in no way do this delectable dessert justice.

Perhaps that’s why I felt the need to include three of them.

And, furthermore, redo the recipe and photos here…