Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Directions

Bread Pudding:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan.  Dry bread cubes on a cookie sheet in oven for 10 to 15 minutes.  Place bread cubes in pan. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, pumpkin, sugar, salt, rum or brandy, and spices. Pour over bread cubes and let sit for 10 minutes until bread is fully soaked. Dab butter over top and bake for 40-50 minutes. Serve with caramel sauce.

• A medium –sized (4 pound) sugar pumpkin should yield around 1 ½ cups of mashed pumpkin. This puree can be used in all your recipes calling for canned pumpkin.
• Baking method: cut the pumpkin in half and discard the stem, seeds and stringy pulp. In a shallow baking dish, place the two halves face down and cover with foil. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 1 ½ hours or until tender. Once the baked pumpkin has cooled, scoop out the flesh and puree or mash it.

Caramel Sauce:

Bring ingredients to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; boil stirring constantly, 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool 15 minutes before serving.