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    Home » Recipe » Pumpkin brioche bread pudding + Maple caramel sauce & a recap of thanksgiving 2013!

    Posted on: Dec 2, 2013 · Modified: Nov 6, 2022 by honeywhatscooking · 24 Comments

    Pumpkin brioche bread pudding + Maple caramel sauce & a recap of thanksgiving 2013!

    1 shares

    Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  This year I made full fat Pumpkin Brioche Bread Pudding with Maple Caramel Sauce and it was a huge hit.  But before I brag about that, here are some of the highlights of our Indo-American Thanksgiving. pumpkin brioche bread pudding 069

    Prior to digging in, we went around the room filled with parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews and stated something we were each “thankful” for.  FAMILY seemed to be the most common theme of the night.  Here are my teenage nieces, they’re all growing up so fast into smart, confident, gorgeous young ladies.  Ahhhh… make time stop!

    Here I am with my niece, Sonia.  She “thinks” she’s my favorite. 

    And then came the MEAL…
    my brother’s Corn Bread & Stuffing.
    my eldest sister’s Chicken Biriyani.
    my mom’s Dahi Vada (fried dough balls in a yogurt sauce topped with spices).
    my elder sister’s (Mini) Rosemary Roasted Potatoes.
    my aunt’s Muthiya (a Gujurati specialty).IMG_1452

    My contribution – Crunchy Tortilla Salsa Mac & Cheese!  And of course, we had some turkey from Boston Market.  IMG_3851


    DESSERT was a meal of its own.  Standouts were…
    my Pumpkin Brioche Bread Pudding.
    Carrot Cake from Le Bonbonniere… Jersey’s finest bake shop!
    my cousin’s (Nandini) Chocolate Pie baked from scratch.  Mmmmmmm!
    my mom’s Apple Crisp.
    a fruit platter.  boring.IMG_0023

    Other highlights.  The DOG, Levi, he’s only 4 months old.  So cute!  IMG_1925

    And now let’s talk about that Pumpkin Brioche Bread Pudding, shall we?  If you’re scared of baking or have no interest in baking, this dessert is for you because you really can’t mess it up.  pumpkin brioche bread pudding 070

    Start by chopping up some brioche bread.pumpkin brioche bread pudding 025

    Whisk a bunch of ingredients.pumpkin brioche bread pudding 036

    And pour in some custard.pumpkin brioche bread pudding 043

    And then just bake it off in the oven.  pumpkin brioche bread pudding 087

    Of course, make a little sauce on the side which literally takes less than 5 minutes.pumpkin brioche bread pudding 076

    And if you are lucky enough to have leftovers the next morning, nuke a slice for about 20 seconds and enjoy with a cup of coffee.  Scrumptious!pumpkin brioche bread pudding 096

    NUTRITION: Although high in calories and fat, Brioche Bread and Half & Half are a good source of Protein.  Pumpkin is rich in Vitamin A and Fiber.
    * since it was Thanksgiving, I made this bread pudding full fat.  For a healthier alternative, substitute Brioche Bread for some kind of soft Whole Wheat roll.  Substitute Whole Milk or 2% Reduced Fat for the Half & Half.  In the sauce, use 2 tablespoon of butter instead of 4 tablespoon (¼ cup), reduce the Maple Syrup to ⅓ cup, and go ahead and use Whole Milk or 2% Reduced Fat instead of Half & Half.  This will alter the taste slightly, but not significant enough for anyone to notice. 


    APPROXIMATE CALORIES PER SERVING (yields 15 squares):

    • Calories: 205 cals
    • Fat: 10 g
    • Saturated Fat: 6.3 g
    • Carbs: 23 g
    • Protein: 4.4 g
    • Fiber: 1.1 g



    PUMPKIN BRIOCHE BREAD PUDDING w/MAPLE CARAMEL SAUCE
    ~ yields 15 servings baked @ 350 degrees in a 11” x 7” baking dish

    INGREDIENTS:
    for the bread pudding:

    • Brioche Bread – 10.8 ounces
    • Half & Half – 2 cups
    • Pure Pumpkin – 1 cup
    • Organic Eggs – 2
    • Brown Sugar – ⅓ cup (custard) + a tablespoon to sprinkle on top
    • Salt – ¼ tsp
    • Cinnamon – 1 ½ tsp
    • Nutmeg – ½ tsp
    • All Spice – ¼ tsp
    • Bourbon – 2 tbsp  (I used Whistle Pig’s Straight Rye Whiskey)
    • Pecans – ½ cup  (chopped; you can use ¾ cup if you’d like)

    * raisins would be a great addition, you can soak them in the bourbon/whiskey, 3 tablespoon will suffice.
    note - I haven’t tried this recipe with raisins.



    for the maple caramel sauce:

    • Unsalted Butter – ¼ cup  (melted)
    • 100% Pure Maple Syrup – ½ cup
    • Half & Half – ½ cup
    • Salt – just a small pinch



    DIRECTIONS:
    for the bread pudding:
    1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.preheat
    2. Butter a baking dish.
    3. Slice the brioche bread into 1 inch cubes.

    4. Add the bread to the buttered dish.
    5. Here are your custard ingredients sans the pecans.
    6. In a mixing bowl, add the half & half, pumpkin, eggs, bourbon (whiskey), brown sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, and salt. 
    7. Whisk it well until all the ingredients are well blended.
    8. Pour the custard mixture all over the bread.pumpkin brioche bread pudding 043
    9. Using a flat wooden spoon, press the bread down into the custard making sure all the bread is evenly coated.  It may appear that you need more custard, but you really don’t, trust me. 
    10. Now top off the bread with a little more brown sugar, perhaps just a tablespoon, not more than that.
    11. Add the chopped pecans.
    12. Into the oven for 40 minutes, maybe a little less depending on your oven.pumpkin brioche bread pudding 016
    13. This is what you should have.pumpkin brioche bread pudding 019
    for the maple caramel sauce: 
    14. Melt the butter in a pot on low-medium heat.pumpkin brioche bread pudding 018
    15. Once melted, add the maple syrup.pumpkin brioche bread pudding 020
    16. Add the half & half as well.pumpkin brioche bread pudding 022
    17. Whisk well and allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes until it starts to bubble.  Turn off the stove and the sauce will begin to thicken slightly.pumpkin brioche bread pudding 023
    18. Serve the sauce on the side, or you can pour it all over the bread pudding.  Slice into cubes and serve immediately. pumpkin brioche bread pudding 079

    TELL ME: How was your Thanksgiving?  What did you make?  What dish is a family tradition during Thanksgiving? 

    « Green Bean Casserole… lightened up!
    Banana Cupcakes w/Cream Cheese frosting & a Baby Shower! »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Arjunan Akilandeswari says

      December 02, 2013 at 4:54 am

      Hhhmmmm simply superb.... Hope you have had a great get together....

      Reply
      • honeywhatscooking says

        December 02, 2013 at 7:49 pm

        Thanks Ajunan.. we did. 🙂 Hope you did as well.

        Reply
    2. Sapana Behl says

      December 02, 2013 at 7:13 am

      Wonderful ! Hope you enjoyed your Indo -American Thanksgiving !!

      Reply
      • honeywhatscooking says

        December 02, 2013 at 7:49 pm

        Thanks Sapana, we did indeed.

        Reply
    3. easyfoodsmith says

      December 02, 2013 at 4:13 pm

      Seeing that hearty delicious spread is making me feel left out 😛
      Hoping you all had a great time together. Your nieces are indeed smart and gorgeous girls. God bless them.
      And last but not the least, your pudding sounds like an absolute winner!

      Reply
      • honeywhatscooking says

        December 02, 2013 at 7:49 pm

        Awww.. no. Thanks for the compliment.. I'll pass it along to them, I'm sure they'll be thrilled. This bread pudding turned out really good! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Parita @ myinnershakti says

      December 02, 2013 at 8:57 pm

      Your nieces are beautiful, N! So glad you got to spend time with your family. I always make mine go around the table and talk about what they're thankful for. It's a nice touch!! 🙂

      And your bread pudding looks delicious - do you think a handful of chocolate chips would work?

      Reply
      • honeywhatscooking says

        December 04, 2013 at 9:55 pm

        Thanks Parita, I'm sure they'd love that. Yes, you can use chocolate chips, I'd use mini semi-sweet chips though, and use 1/4 cup of sugar instead of 1/3 cup and i wouldn't sprinkle additional sugar on top. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says

      December 03, 2013 at 1:19 am

      Looks like you had a lovely Thanksgibing! This bread pudding sounds so decadent and perfect for holiday meals.

      Reply
      • honeywhatscooking says

        December 04, 2013 at 9:56 pm

        Thanks Bianca.. I did. The bread pudding was really good. 🙂

        Reply
    6. Anne ~ Uni Homemaker says

      December 03, 2013 at 7:30 am

      Oh my, this sounds fantastic! My husband is a huge pumpkin fan and I know he'll love this! Sounds like you had a lovely Thanksgiving with your family. Have a great week my friend!

      Reply
      • honeywhatscooking says

        December 04, 2013 at 9:56 pm

        Thanks Anne. I love pumpkin, it's pretty subtle, you can always add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving too!

        Reply
    7. Chai a Cup of Life says

      December 03, 2013 at 12:10 pm

      You and your family are gorgeous! Superb meal your family put on..we don't celebrate Thanksgiving here or Aust, but I got to experience in America once and loved it.

      Reply
      • honeywhatscooking says

        December 04, 2013 at 9:57 pm

        Thanks for the compliment Amelia. On behalf of my nieces, thank you! It's a lot of fun, at the end of the day it's just about family/friends, eating, and being grateful. Like any other holiday really! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Amy @ Elephant Eats says

      December 03, 2013 at 3:06 pm

      Aw, your nieces are adorable...or I suppose I should I say beautiful since they're teenagers now 😉 I love that your family all says something they're thankful for. That's such a nice tradition. Holy cow, your Thanksgiving menu sounds amazing!!! Can I come next year?! Love the variation of dishes...and the dessert, oh my. This brioch bread pudding is right up my alley!

      Reply
      • honeywhatscooking says

        December 04, 2013 at 9:59 pm

        Thanks Amy. Haha.. yes, they are beautiful young girls. The menu was really good, it was actually nice to have an Indo-American Thanksgiving. Sure, come on over, we had a lot of extra people who joined this year, the more the merrier. 🙂

        Reply
    9. Kitchen Riffs says

      December 05, 2013 at 12:49 am

      Sounds like a fun time! That pumpkin brioche bread pudding looks amazing! Great recipe - thanks.

      Reply
      • honeywhatscooking says

        December 06, 2013 at 6:52 pm

        Thanks.. it was. The bread pudding was really good. 🙂

        Reply
    10. Ameena says

      December 05, 2013 at 1:32 am

      Your nieces are all gorgeous! Love that picture of you with Sonia. Where are the little kids? 🙂

      Ali loves bread pudding...this looks delicious. Full fat, all the way!

      Reply
      • honeywhatscooking says

        December 06, 2013 at 6:52 pm

        Thanks Ameena. The 2 little ones were upstairs watching TV. The 2 groups are in separate age groups so getting them to mingle isn't quite easy. Definitely full fat over the holidays. 🙂

        Reply
    11. Shefali says

      December 05, 2013 at 6:32 am

      I've never had bread pudding! Now I must try it. Happy Thanksgiving!

      Reply
      • honeywhatscooking says

        December 06, 2013 at 6:53 pm

        Bread Pudding is delicious Shefali... and so easy to make. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving too.

        Reply
    12. eatgood4life.blogspot.com says

      December 08, 2013 at 3:39 pm

      This bread pudding looks fantastic. I would take your food feast over the turkey traditional ones any day. What a wonderful family.

      Reply
      • honeywhatscooking says

        December 10, 2013 at 4:52 am

        Thanks Miryam. Me too.. a lot more flavor in the Indo-American Thanksgiving menu.

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Nisha... a foodie who is passionate about healthy-ish living and mindful eating. You'll find a little bit of everything here. I use mostly organic real ingredients and incorporate seasonal produce in my cooking. I believe food is medicine. Come join me on this soul-searching journey as I share my love for good food, and I hope somewhere along the line, I inspire you to eat better.

    Learn more about me →


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