Pumpkin Bread pudding with fresh cranberries and caramel

A special, incredibly delicious autumn pumpkin treat, this bread pudding is one to be reckoned with - at least once each pumpkin season.

Pumpkin Bread pudding with cranberries & salted caramel

For Pumpkin Bread:

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup oil

1 cup canned solid pack pumpkin filling

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup water

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 - 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-In a large mixing bowl, mix eggs, sugar and oil together until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and beat on medium speed until well combined. Add nuts and vanilla and stir into batter.

-Butter a 9 X 5 inch bread pan well. Pour the batter into the bread pan and tap on counter to help the batter settle evenly. Bake in preheated oven for about an hour or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. (Check for doneness at 45 minutes and continue to check every 5 minutes, removing from oven when done.) Let rest for 10 minutes, then invert the bread onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

For the Bread Pudding Batter:

5 whole eggs

1 can solid pack pumpkin filling

1 cup sugar

2 cups cream

1 cup whole milk

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

-In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs with sugar and pumpkin filling. Add cream, milk, syrup, vanilla, spices and salt and beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. (Beat with a wire whisk or with an electric mixer.)

To complete Bread Pudding:

-Slice cooled pumpkin bread then break or slice into cubes. Spread cubes out on a cookie sheet and let dry overnight on the counter or place in a 200 degree oven for 1 hour. Turn off the heat and let bread continue to dry out in the oven until ready to use.

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-In a large mixing bowl combine the dried pumpkin bread cubes, the egg batter and the cranberries until evenly distributed. Let mixture stand for 15 minutes. Transfer mixture to a 9 x 5 well-buttered bread pan or individual large buttered muffin tins, filling tins 3/4 full with mixture. Bake pumpkin bread pudding until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

-If pudding is baked in a loaf pan, let cool for 30 minutes, turn out of pan then slice to serve. If baked in individual muffin tins, let pudding rest in tins for 30 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of each one and turn out of tins and serve upside down. If puddings stick to pan, gently loosen with the knife or a spoon.

Salted Caramel sauce

1 1/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon “fleur de sel”or coarsely ground salt

-Whisk brown sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Whisk in cream and stir until sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salt and vanilla extract. Let sit 10 - 15 minutes to thicken slightly. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

-Dust bread pudding(s) with powdered sugar. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce. Serves 8 - 10

Dry out cubed pumpkin bread and combine with cranberries.

Pour pumpkin batter over the pumpkin bread cubes and the cranberries and let soak a bit.

Bake bread pudding in buttered muffin tins or as one large pudding in a loaf pan.

Turn cooled puddings out of muffin tins and dust with powdered sugar.

Moist and tender with the bite of fresh cranberries.

A special, incredibly delicious autumn pumpkin treat!

PERSNICKETY NOTES:

*To make this recipe quicker and easier, purchased pumpkin bread, or brioche bread may be substituted for the homemade pumpkin bread if desired.

*I prefer to serve bread puddings in individual servings as they look neater and nicer than slicing from the loaf pan shape or cut into squares.

*Sweetened, whipped cream can be used in place of the ice cream if desired, or with just the caramel sauce or without either, as taste dictates. You may want to let your guests garnish their own servings as they prefer.

*Cranberries and/or nuts may be omitted, depending on your taste.

*Bread puddings may be made a day before serving and kept chilled. Reheat them in the microwave before serving.

*The caramel sauce may be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks. Heat up slowly in a small saucepan on the stove or in the microwave.

*Fleur de Sel is a type of sea salt hand-harvested off the Atlantic coast of France. This rather expensive salt doesn't contain any of the natural impurities you'd find in standard sea salt and has a cleaner, more oceanic flavor. A little bit goes a long way and imbues a salted caramel with just the right amount of saltiness.