Pumpkin Bread Pudding
By Miyoko Schinner
A comforting and warm alternative to pumpkin pie and also lower in fat since it has no pie crust. To make this, you will want slightly stale or lightly toasted bread so that it soaks up the custard. You can use any kind of bread you like, but I recommend something on the lighter and whiter side and not sourdough (this is not the dish to use the heartiest wholegrain bread). Trim away the crust and cut into cubes. You can let it sit out overnight to dry, or toast it.
Serves: 8-10
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Ingredients
Directions
1 Preparing the Bread: You will need a total of 6-7 cups cubed bread. The less bread, the more custard-like it will be. Trim away the crust from about 1 pound of unsliced bread. Slice and cube. If the loaf is fresh, spread the bread on a sheet pan and toast at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, until dry but not brown. Otherwise, you can just spread it out on a sheet pan and let it air dry overnight.
2 Preparing the Pumpkin Custard: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a blender or food processor, combine and blend until smooth: pumpkin (canned is ok), tofu, non-dairy milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and cornstarch.
3 Use a silicone or non-stick baking dish big enough for the bread cubes to fill it half-way. Pour the Pumpkin Custard mixture over the bread and mix well with a spoon. If desired, mix in raisins.
4 Cover the dish with a silicone baking mat and bake for about 40 minutes until the custard has set. Serve warm with Brandy Nog Creme Anglaise (recipe in Desserts & Baked Goods).
