Family gatherings, be it Thanksgiving or Christmas, allows one to dream….dream about the smells that permeate your home (and really half the neighborhood), the table setting, company coming, menu, laughter, pure joy of seeing one another again, etc. This is a dessert that uses pumpkin but in a different way. One that really is enjoyable and memorable.
- 4 1/2 cups white bread (stale or oven dried out), cubed
- 4 large eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 1/2 cups whipping cream
- 3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp. rum
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg – freshly grated
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 2 tbsp. cold butter, cut up
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. ( To oven dry the bread, place the cubes on a cookie sheet in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, if it is fresh bread).
Place the cubes in the cooking dish and whisk all the remaining ingredients except the butter, until smooth. Pour over the bread and let sit for about 10 minutes until the bread is completely soaked pushing down gently, if necessary. Now dab the butter over the top and bake for about 45-50 minutes unil set in the middle but not dried out.
Ginger Creme Anglaise
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
In a suacepan over medium heat, bring the milk, cream, ginger and vanilla just to a slight boil, stirring often. ( While this is heating up, whisk the yolks and sugar until smooth.) Remove the pan from the heat immediately.
Slowly pour about 1/4 – 1/3 of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture whisking constantly. Now add this back to the remaining cream mixture in the saucepan and while still whisking, stir until it coats the back of a spoon.
Pour into a bowl and when plating the pudding into your prettiest dessert bowl, ladle a generous amount of the sauce over the top.
OMG this is good.
