Pumpkin Bread Pudding

On Halloween my family comes over and we sit around a fire pit on our front deck and eat chili out of mugs. Then after we’ve handed out candy to the sparse trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood (leaving a huge bowl of candy that will tempt us for the coming weeks), we indulge in THE best bread pudding ever. Ever since my mom discovered this recipe in Gourmet a few years ago, it’s been the Halloween dessert stand-by. Everyone has a can of Libby’s in their pantry these days, so give it a try. Buttery bread cubes combined with rich, pumpkin-y custard and baked until crispy on the edges and moist in the middle. Mmm … Oh, and how can I not share our little pumpkin!

(From the October 2007 issue of Gourmet, as seen on Epicurious)

1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch of ground cloves
5 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old baguette or crusty bread
3/4 stick butter, melted

• Preheat oven to 350°F and place rack in the middle.

• Whisk together cream, pumpkin, milk, sugar, eggs, yolk, salt, and spices in a bowl.

• Toss bread cubes with butter in another bowl, then add pumpkin mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish and bake until custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Serves 6.