Serves 8
6 cups torn-up French bread (about 1 loaf)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup apple juice or orange juice
4 large eggs
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree or home-made
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup raisins or Craisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Maple Praline Sauce:
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped pecans
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1. Make the bread pudding: In a measuring cup, combine the cream, milk, and apple juice. Put torn-up bread in a large bowl and pour the cream mixture over it. Let soak for about 30 minutes,
stirring occasionally.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 Butter the bottom and side of a 12-inch cast iron skillet with 2 T unsalted soft butter.
3. In medium bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, honey, pumpkin, pecans, raisin, melted butter spices, and vanilla together, then stir in the raisins and pecans. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the soaked bread and stir to blend.
Pour the mixture into the prepared skillet and bake until set, 45 to 60 minutes.
5. While the bread pudding bakes, make the Maple Praline Sauce: In a heavy, medium saucepan, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, salt, and cream and cook over low heat stirring until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to high until mixture beings to boil. Boil until the mixture thickens and reaches 220° on a candy thermometer. Stir in the butter and pecans. Remove from the heat and let the sauce cool. The sauce will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
6. Serve the bread pudding drizzled with Maple Praline Sauce.
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