Bobby Flay's Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Bobby Flay recently did a Thanksgiving throwdown with Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. Bobby made a Pumpkin Bread-Bread Pudding with Vanilla Creme Anglaise and a caramel apple sauce. As soon as I heard about it I knew I had to make it. There are actually 2 different recipes online, one on Bobby's website and one on Food Network. I mainly used the Food Network recipe but did the apple cider sauce from Bobby's website.

There are a lot of different components for this recipe. First, you have to make the pumpkin bread, cut it into chunks and toast it, make the custard for the pudding, the creme anglaise, and the caramel apple cider sauce. It's not difficult, it's just a lot of work. The end result though is delicious!  For the pumpkin bread, I didn't use bourbon and just used vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean. For the Caramel Apple Cider Sauce, I made two batches because my first one didn't turn out too well. I didn't have enough white sugar, only 1 3/4 cup so the remaining 1/4 cup I used dark brown sugar. YUM! It really made it good!  All of the components combined made this a really good dessert! Everyone loved it.

I can't believe I forgot to take a picture!!

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 cup pure canned pumpkin puree
• Pumpkin Bread, toasted and cubed, recipe follows
• Vanilla Creme Anglaise, recipe follows
• Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the cream, milk, vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
2. Whisk together the yolks, sugar, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture until combined. Strain the custard into a clean bowl.
3. Scatter the pumpkin bread cubes in a buttered 9 by 13-inch baking glass baking dish. Pour the custard over the bread, pressing down on the bread to totally submerge it in the custard. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow the bread to soak up some of the custard.
4. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan and pour hot tap water into the roasting pan until it comes half way up the sides of the glass dish. Bake until the sides are slightly puffed and the center jiggles slightly, about 1 hour.
5. Remove from the oven and water bath and cool on a baking rack for at least 30 minutes before serving.
6. Spoon some of the Vanilla Creme Anglaise into a shallow bowl, top with some of the bread pudding and drizzle with the Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce. Bread pudding is best served warm.

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 8 ounces (scant 1 cup) canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup water

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a small bowl.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 4 tablespoons softened butter, sugar, and oil at high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times.
4. Add the pumpkin puree and mix until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until just incorporated. At low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and water and mix until just combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60 to 75 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a baking rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely.
5. Once the bread is cool, slice in half lengthwise, and then slice each half into 1/2-inch cubes. Spread the cubes on a large baking sheet and bake in a 325 degree oven until lightly toasted, turning once, about 20 minutes. Let cool.

Vanilla Creme Anglaise

Ingredients

• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup pure cane sugar

Directions

1. Bring the half-and-half and vanilla to a simmer in a medium saucepan.
2. Whisk together the yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until at the pale ribbon stage. Slowly whisk in the hot half-and-half, return the mixture to the pot, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. Strain into a bowl and set over an ice bath. Stir until chilled. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Apple Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• ½ cup water
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup apple cider

Directions

1. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over high heat. Cook until the sugar has dissolved and turned a deep amber color, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cream and apple cider. Return to the stove over high heat and cook until combines, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.

Pumpkin Pillows

I came across this recipe for Iced Pumpkin Cookies from Betty Crocker several years ago and have made them many times. Everyone seems to go crazy over them. They are so soft! My friend named them Pumpkin Pillows. The recipe calls for raisins but I never add them. The only thing I do differently is add pumpkin pie spice to the icing. I've seen some recipes recently for pumpkin cookies iced with caramel icing or even brown sugar icing. I'd love to give those a try. It kills me to used canned icing when I'm sure there's a better recipe out there!


Ingredients

• 1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick cookie sheets). Lightly grease or spray cookie sheet.
   In large bowl, beat cake mix, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin and butter with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute.
2. On cookie sheet, drop dough by generous tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart.
3. Bake 11 to 14 minutes or until set and light golden brown around edges. Cool 1 to 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Frost with frosting. Store loosely covered.

Spicy Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

It's fall, even though it doesn't feel like it in Florida! I've been wanting to make a pumpkin bundt cake for awhile. After looking at several recipes, I finally decided to combine a couple of recipes. The cake recipe is from Martha Stewart and the glaze was found on Heather's Dish. Reviews about the cake on Martha's website said it didn't need a glaze so I debated adding it. However, I'm glad I did. The cake was very spicy. The glaze was delicious and complimented it well, I thought. It was a little thin though, maybe because I used half & half instead of heavy cream or maybe I didn't let it cook long enough. My bundt cake pans must be smaller than normal. This recipe made enough for two cakes, which just meant our neighbors got a little surprise!

Spicy Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray, for pan
• 4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for dusting
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk (or substitue just under 1 cup milk + 1 Tablespoon Vinegar and let rest for 5 minutes)
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 14-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray. Dust with flour, and tap out excess.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
3. Beat butter and brown sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Beat until just combined. Add pumpkin puree, and beat until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake cake until golden and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Carefully turn cake onto rack too cool completely. Before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar.

Brown Sugar Glaze

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (I used half & half because it's what I had)

Directions

1. In a saucepan combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer.  Remove from heat and stir until all sugar is dissolved.  When cake is finished baking, poke holes in the top with a toothpick.  Pour glaze over the cake, making sure to cover all surfaces.  Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

Pumpkin Bars

This is another dessert I made for my friend's baby shower.  It's so easy but so good. Everyone seemed to love this dessert too, in fact I had several recipe requests.

Ingredients

• 1 package yellow cake mix
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 egg

• 1 (29 oz) can pumpkin
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (I made my own. Recipe below.)

• 1/4 cup butter, chilled
• 1/2 cup white sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly greese a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Set aside 1 cup of cake mix. Combine remaining cake mix with melted butter and 1 egg and mix until well blended. Spread mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
3. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, brown sugar, milk, 3 eggs, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well and pour this mixture over cake mix mixture in baking dish.
4. In a small bowl with a pastry blender, or in a food processor, combine chilled butter and white sugar with reserved 1 cup of cake mix until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinklie over pumpkin mixture. 
5. Bake 45-50 minutes until top is golden.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

1. In a small bowl mix together the ingredients. Store in an airtight container.