Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding with Toffee Rum Sauce

For the the greater part of human history, most cultures could not afford to waste food, so a number of uses for stale bread as an example were fashioned.

Stale bread was used in many dishes, which were both savory and sweet. One of those sweet dishes included bread pudding.

The basic recipe for bread pudding included stale bread (referred to as day old bread), eggs, milk and sugar.

Over the course of time other ingredients have added, like fresh or dried fruits, and nuts.

This recipe is going to include pumpkin, spices, pecans and a toffee sauce with rum.

Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding with Toffee Rum Sauce

1 16 oz. loaf day old sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes, can opt for French loaf or regular white bread *See Cook’s Notes

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 ½ cups pumpkin puree, without spices

3 cups heavy cream, can opt for half & half

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder, can opt for pumpkin pie spice

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup pecan pieces

Cook’s Notes

Day old bread means bread that is dry or stale with no visible signs of molding. Though it is called day old bread, it is typically several days old.

If you need stale or dried bread and you don’t have any, you can leave a loaf of bread on the kitchen counter unpackaged overnight. As it will dry and become stale or similar hard.

Toffee Rum Sauce

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

4 tablespoons butter, melted

½ cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon dark rum or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract

1 teaspoon sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, half and half or cream, melted butter, sugar, vanilla, spice, and salt.

Add the mixture to the bread cubes and toss to coat, making sure all the bread cubes are coated with the egg mixture.

Spoon the bread pudding into to 13 X 9 inch glass baking dish and bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center just comes out clean.

Set aside on a wire rack to cool slightly for 10 minutes. As the pumpkin bread is cooling, prepare toffee sauce.

In a small sauce pan, over medium heat, add brown sugar, heavy cream, melted butter, and rum. Stir together just until a soft boil starts. Remove from heat and set aside.