PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING - CARAMEL SAUCE

Around the beginning of October, I was contacted by an American foodie from Maryland who had stumbled upon my blog while she was doing a Google search in order to find the site of a certain organic food store (Le Marché De Vie) in Eaux-Vives, Geneva. We exchange a few e-mails and agreed to meet up at my place so as to spend a fun afternoon together, baking something autumnal and delicious...

That's how I got to know this very friendly Graduate Institute student named Jessica who has just moved here from Washington, DC in September and with whom I share a passionate interest in food and cooking/baking.

As we wanted to make a pumpkiny fall/Thanksgiving treat that would be scrumptious, yet not too time-consuming, we opted for a Bon Appétit (you can't go wrong with them) recipe that we found on Epicurious. It sounded so highly promising and droolworthy that we had to make it!

So, a few days later, she came to my place. We got along straight away and chatted like crazy all afternoon while we were preparing what was going to be the most luscious and dirty bread pudding I have ever come across!

This luxurious "Pumpkin Bread Pudding With Caramel Sauce" is incredibly good and lip-smackingly delicious. It is a terribly delightful dessert which will blow you off your feet. The only sound you'll be able to get out is "Mmmmmmmhhhhhhhh"!

We are not talking about just any mainstream pudding here, but about a deadly treat which is undeniably irresistible thanks to it's sheer richness and incomparable taste. The wicked combination of spongy, gooey, sticky and spicy elements contribute to this homey pudding's oomph factor...

~ Pumpkin Bread Pudding With Caramel Sauce ~
Recipe from "Bon Appétit", November 2000 and adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Serves 6 to 8, depending on how big you slice it.

Ingredients for the "Bread Pudding":
2 Cups (480ml) Half and half (see remarks)
1 3/4 Cups (525g) Pumpkin puree (see remarks)
1 Cup (240g) + 2 Tbs Packed Light brown sugar
2 Large eggs (~70g each)
4-5 Tsps Pumpkin Pie spice (see remarks)
2 Tsps Ground cinnamon
1 1/2 Tsp Pure vanilla extract or paste
10 Cups (about 10-ounces) 1.3cm (1/2-inch) Cubes egg bread ("Challah" type or even normal white bread)
1/2 Cup (90g) Golden raisins (see remarks)
Ingredients for the "Caramel Sauce":
1 1/4 Cups (300g) Packed light brown sugar
1/2 Cup (1 stick/120g) Unsalted butter
1/2 Cup (120ml) Double cream (35 % fat)

Method for the "Bread Pudding":
1. Preheat oven to 180° C (350°F).
2. Whisk the half and half, pumpkin, dark brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and vanilla extract in large bowl to blend.
3. Fold in the bread cubes and stir in the golden raisins.
4. Transfer mixture to 28x18cm (11x7-inch) Pyrex/glass greased baking dish.
5. Let stand 15 minutes.
6. Bake the pumpkin bread pudding until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.


Method for the "Caramel Sauce":
7. Whisk the brown sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts.
8. Whisk in the cream and stir until the sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.
9. Serve warm with caramel sauce.

Remarks:
See info on "half and half" here. I used 1 cup milk and 1 cup thick cream (35% fat) instead.
I recommend you to use the following pumpkin:
Potimarron (French) = Hokkaido Pumpkin = Chestnut Pumpkin = Baby Red Hubbard = Uchiki Kuri = Chinese Pumpkin = Japanese Pumpkin. You can also make this pudding with Butternut squash, but it will be less tasty.
To obtain fresh puree, take your pumpkin, cut it in half, deseed it and peel it, then cut it in cubes and steam. Once it is cooked, mash the pumpkin flesh. It has to be a very smooth and thick (not to wet) puree.
Here's how to make homemade "Pumpkin Pie Spice":
Mix together 3 1/2 Tsps ground cinnamon, 2 Tsps Ground ginger, 1/2 Tsp ground allspice, 1/4 Tsp ground cloves and 1/2 Tsp ground nutmeg.
You can replace the golden raisins by dried cranberries, dried cherries, roasted pecans, etc...
This pudding freezes very well.

Serving suggestions:
If you want to be real dirty, you can also serve this pudding with some sweetened whipped cream and/or a ball of your favorite ice cream...

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~ Pudding Au Potimarron Et Sa sauce Au Caramel ~
Recette tirée du magazine "Bon Appétit" (USA), Novembre 2000 et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Pour environ 6 à 8 personnes.

Ingrédients pour le "Pouding":
1 Tasse (240ml) de Crème double (35% de matières grasses)
1 Tasse (240ml) de Lait
1 3/4 Tasses (525g) de Purée de potimarron non-sucrée (voir remarques)
1 Tasse (240g) + 2 CS de Sucre brun clair, tassé
2 Oeufs larges (~70g chacun)
4-5 CC d'Epices à Pumpkin Pie (voir remarques)
2 CC de Cannelle moulue
1 1/2 CC d'Extrait de vanille pure
10 Tasses (~300g) de Brioche (type "Challah" ou de pain blanc) rassie, coupée en cubes (1.3cm)
1/2 Tasse (90g) de Raisins clairs (voir remarques)
Ingrédients pour la "Sauce Caramel":
1 1/4 Tasses (300g) de Sucre brun clair
1/2 Tasse (120g) de Beurre non-salé
1/2 Tasse (120ml) de Crème double (35 % de matières grasses)

Méthode Pour le "Pouding":
1. Préchauffer le four à 180° C (350°F).
2. Battre ensemble la crème, le lait, la purée de courge, le sucre brun clair, les oeufs, les épices à Pumpkin Pie, la cannelle et l'extrait de vanille.
3. Incorporer les cubes de pain rassi au mélange liquide et ajouter les raisins. Bien mélanger.
4. Transférer le tout dans un plat en Pyrex (beurré) de 28x28cm.
5. Laisser reposer pendant 15 minutes.
6. Cuire le pouding pendant environ 40 minutes, jusqu'à ce que le pointe d'un couteau en ressorte propre.
Méthode pour la "Sauce Caramel":
7. Dans une petite casserole, à feu moyen, faire fondre le beurre avec le sucre.
8. Incorporer le crème, puis fouetter le mélange pendant environ 3 minutes, jusqu'à ce que le sucre ait fondu et que la sauce soit homogène/lisse.
9. Servir chaud avec la sauce au caramel.

Remarques:
Je vous recommande d'utiliser les courges suivantes:
Potimarron (potiron doux d'Hokkaido/courge de Chine) ou la courge Butternut (bien moins goûteuse que le potimarron).
Pour obtenir de la purée fraîche, prenez votre potimarron, coupez-le en deux, enlevez les graines et pelez-le, coupez-le en cubes grossiers et faites-les cuire à la vapeur. Une fois cuits, écrasez-les (ou passez-les au mixer) afin d'obtenir une purée fine et épaisse (pas trop liquide).
Voilà comment faire son "Pumpkin Pie Spice" maison:
Mélanger ensemble 3 1/2 CC de cannelle en poudre, 2 CC de gingembre en poudre, 1/2 CC de tout-épice en poudre, 1/4 CCde clous de girofle en poudre et 1/2 CC de noix de muscade en poudre.
Vous pouvez remplacer les raisins par des cranberries séchées, des cerises séchées, des noix de pécan torréfiées, etc...
On peut tout à fait congeler ce pouding.

Idées de présentation:
Si vous voulez vraiment être "cochons", pourquoi ne pas accompagner ce pouding d'un peu de crème fouettée sucrée et/ou d'une boule de votre glace préférée?...