Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Shaved White Chocolate

Little nuggets of crusty baguette, baked in a rich pumpkin custard. Need I say more?

Yes, I do need to say more - you can prep this dish up to 3 days in advance!! I'm all about taking the stress out of holiday cooking and baking (the cooking should be the easy part; dealing with family, maybe not so much). For this amazing dish, simply toss the buttered baguette cubes with the pumpkin custard mixture and pop the dish in the fridge until you're ready to bake. Done and done! Now you can tend to other, more pressing matters!

When to serve? There's no wrong answer here. Breakfast, brunch, side dish, dessert. It's a welcome treat any time. 

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Shaved White Chocolate

Cooking spray

15-ounce can pumpkin (not pie filling)

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

6 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old baguette or crusty bread

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2-inch piece white chocolate

Preheat the oven to 35o degrees. Coat a shallow baking pan with cooking spray (use about a 1-quart baking pan or 8-inch square baking pan).

In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, cream, milk, sugar, eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.

In a separate, large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the melted butter. Add the pumpkin mixture and stir to coat. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.

If you're prepping ahead, cover with plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Remove the dish from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes, until the custard is set. Cool for 5 minutes. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the white chocolate over top before serving.

Serves 6