Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding ~ New Orleans Style

Fall is in the air..the high today is only going to be 84. 

Ok...ok...it's not really feeling like fall, but it sure can smell like fall in my house.

How do you get that smell of Fall? 

with cinnamon and pumpkin.

This is no ordinary bread pudding, it smells and taste of fall flavors...pumpkin and pecans.

Most southern bread puddings are scooped into a bowl with a generous portion of Bourbon Whiskey Sauce, but this one can be sliced like a pie and elegantly served on a plate.

Pumpkin and Pecan Bread Pudding

1/4 cup sugar                      2 tsp. cinnamon

3 whole eggs                      1/4 tsp. nutmeg

3 egg yolks                          2 Tbsp. butter

4 cups half and half                                    

2 cups heavy whipping cream                     

2 Tbsp. vanilla extract                                

One 16-oz can solid packed pumpkin (fresh will not work)

1 loaf of stale french bread cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

1 cup pecan pieces

1.  Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.  Whisk sugar, whole eggs, and yolks, half`-and -half,  cream and vanilla in a large bowl to make a smooth custard.

2. Combine the pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg and 1/2 cup of the custard mixture in another bowl.

 

3.  Generously grease the insides of two 10-inch cake pans with the butter.

Line the perimeters of each pan with the smallest slices of bread, then cover the bottom of each with overlapping bread layer.

Pour one-sixth of the custard mixture over the bread to soak it.  Spread one-fourth of the pumpkin the bread in each pan, then sprinkle about one-fourth of the

 pecans over the pumpkin.

Repeat the process in the same order, ending

with a layer of bread, pecans,

 and a final soaking with the custard.

4.  Bake for about 1 1/2 hours.  The pudding will rise and then will fall when you take it out of the oven.

Remove and cool.
Cut into pie-style slices and serve either warm or cool.

Here at our house...we have ONE person
that does not eat nuts.

 Of course I adapt recipes when I can.

But...when I am in a hurry and sometimes forget,

 here's to you

  "Mr. No Nut Eater"

 So Sorry ...  maybe you should try them you just might like them.

Ok...even without the pecans,
 "Mr. No Nut Eater" would not try it.

He said the bread pudding did not look like the one they make at the restaurant he works for.

So he has promised to make us a bread pudding, along with the sauce for us in a coming blog post.

 The rest of the family enjoyed it, although they were divided on eating it warm or cold.

 Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding certainly
made the house 'smell'  like fall,

 even if it was for one day.

Today I am linking up with Made By You Monday,
 Skip To My Lou and linking with my friend, Clydia at Three Mango Seeds
Please take a moment to see all the wonderful links at these two sites.