Traveling to Tennessee this week was a real treat. Steve and I got to spend an early Thanksgiving with his mother. Having done a little cooking while I was there, I’d made this incredible Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding while Steve and his daughter were able to spend some quality time on their family’s property.
It was so delicious I made it again when I returned home. Here’s a peek at some of the beautiful scenery.
Steve’s mom had pumpkin pie spice on hand for the holidays.
Being in Tennessee with its picturesque scenery gave me some inspiration. I thought, why not take a bread pudding recipe and make it super special. Once I saw the table Miss Ruth set up for our family celebration, I knew my Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding would be perfect.
Because I was visiting family, I made the bread pudding in a disposable pan. This is the rectangle type pan with high sides is available in many grocery stores. If you’re using a baking dish from home, use a 9 x 13.
My recipe is really simple. This particular recipe doesn’t require using a water bath during the baking process. I also wanted to mention. I didn’t make a traditional Bourbon sauce for the top. This is not a traditional bread pudding a simple glaze to drizzle over the top is perfect.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour
Baking Time: 1 hour
Yields: 9 to 12 servings
Equipment: 1 (9 x 13) baking dish or 1 (9 x 13) disposable baking pan
Ingredients:
18 perfectly stale mini croissants broken up into large pieces
8 large eggs, room temperature
4 large egg yolks, room temperature
2 cups heavy cream
3 cups whole milk
1 (28-ounce) can of pure pumpkin purée
1 1/2 tablespoons of store-bought pumpkin pie spice (substitute homemade pumpkin pie spice)
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar for custard plus 1/4 cup for the topping
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup of dried cranberries
1 cup of Nestle pumpkin morsels (available during the holidays)
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Ingredients For Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice:
4 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1 pinch of allspice
Directions:
Mix all the spices for your pumpkin pie spice mixture together. Store in an airtight container. Place the spice in a cool dry place.
Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted to remove any lumps
2 1/2 tablespoons of whole milk
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract, (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, milk, cream, sugar, the canned pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract. Set the custard mixture aside.
Lightly spray your disposable pan or baking dish with a non-stick cooking spray. Next, add the croissant pieces to the disposable pan. You want to make sure the bread pieces are spread out evenly. Slowly pour the custard mixture over the croissants giving the bread a chance to slowly absorb the mixture. I like to pour half the mixture in, then push the bread down slightly. Then add the remaining mixture, and again, pressing slightly so all the croissants are submerged.
Place a rimmed baking sheet pan underneath the baking dish and transfer to the refrigerator for an hour. After an hour, remove the bread pudding from the frig, sprinkle the pumpkin morsels, and dried cranberries all over the top pressing them down into the bread pudding preventing them from burning.
Next, in a small bowl add the granulated sugar and cinnamon, whisk to combine. Sprinkle the mixture all over the top evenly. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.
To make the glaze, simply mix powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk together, adding the milk one tablespoon at a time. You want the mixture’s consistency to reach the point where it falls back on itself into the bowl or a smooth pourable glaze.
To serve, allow the Breab pudding to cool slightly before serving. Warm or room temperature, drizzle the silky smooth sugary glaze over each piece.
There you have it, my Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding.
