kitchen-y goodness

Hey there kiddos. (I declare that we can all be kiddos today.)

Fall is here and I could not be happier. Yes, I am one of those weirdos who actually likes the cooler weather and the end of summer. So sue me. But one of the things I like best about fall is all the yummy treats that come into fashion this time of year. Baked goods, apples, pumpkins, etc. (If this is all sounding very deja vu-ish, it's because I mentioned this is my last post, but bear with me here. I am going somewhere.)

The other week I found a recipe online (from Evite, no less) that sounded just too good to be true. Simple instructions, delicious ingredients - many of which most people might already have around the house. In fact, that's kind of the point of the recipe. What was it, you ask? Why, it was Pumpkin Bread Pudding of course! (Meaning bread pudding *with pumpkin*, not *made with pumpkin bread*.) I have never made bread pudding before, and only eaten it probably 3 or 4 times in my life, but this recipe came along at just the right time, because at the exact moment of discovery, I had one rather old, most likely very hard loaf of whole grain bread in my fridge and I was at a loss as to what to do with it. So I see pumpkin bread pudding and think, I can make a dessert out of an old loaf of bread??!! Sold!! Where do I sign up?

The other day, after a mad search for a can of pumpkin puree (I tried my usual grocery store on two separate days, then finally bit the bullet and went to a different one. It must be pumpkin pie season!!), I finally made the recipe and ... YUMMY!!! If I made it again, I would make a couple small changes, but for the most part, it turned out perfect, and now it calls to me from the fridge as soon as I get home from work each day. So I cut myself a piece and have dessert first. So what. Life's short.

If this sounds as good to you as it did to me (and delivered!) here's the recipe:

6 cups bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2 in. cubes (The recipe called for French bread, but the awesome thing about bread pudding is that you can use whatever you have. I had some Brownberry whole grain bread and it worked great.)
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree (Not pumpkin pie filling. That already has spices mixed in and we will be adding our own spices)
3 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup candied/crystallized ginger, finely diced (Here is where I might make a substitution next time. The candied ginger I used kept kind of a crisp texture even after baking, which sort of surprised me when I tasted the pudding. The second day, it was a little less crisp, but if you want to avoid this all together, I'd try adding powdered ginger instead, for the flavor, and perhaps a bit more sugar, though I have no idea how much of either.)

The recipe said to make some cinnamon whipped cream to top it with, but ... well ... I am not quite that ambitious, so I bought me some Reddi-Whip. :) Also, you'll need an 11x7 in. baking pan, which I myself had to go out and buy (cheap) because who has that size?? I mean really!?

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the bread cubes in the pan, then pour over the whipping cream and the milk, stirring to combine (make sure all the cubes are soaking in the liquid). Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, brown sugar, spices, vanilla and salt. Here is where I would make one more suggestion. The recipe says to pour this pumpkin mixture over the bread/cream in the pan and stir to combine, then stir in the ginger - all within the baking pan. However, when I tried this ... well ... that baking pan is mighty small, and it was hard as hell trying to keep the stuff from going over the edges. And why oh why would you need to wait until the end to add the ginger? I added the ginger directly to the pumpkin mixture. And what I will be doing next time is pouring the *bread/cream mixture* into the *bowl*, stirring to combine, then transferring back to the pan to bake. But whatever way you choose, the next step is to bake about 60 minutes, or until set.

Once it's baked and cooled, cut into 6 pieces, top with whipped cream and enjoy!! You'll be so DYING to try it by the time it's done because while it's baking, your house is going to smell absolutely heavenly.

See? Easy as pi - er - pudding. :)