On occasion, we like to host dinner parties themed around a certain ingredient or ethnic fare. This recipe is the unwitting descendant of one such dinner party. Last year, just after Thanksgiving, we hosted Pumpkin Night 2.0, since the first Pumpkin-themed dinner a couple of years before had been such a resounding success. The people wanted more, and more is what we gave them.
While discussing potential menu items, Kyle mentioned a recipe that he wanted to try involving a bread and cheese fondue baked inside of an actual pumpkin. I laughed and pulled out my phone. I keep a file of links to intriguing recipes from around the internet so I don’t have to worry about forgetting them or finding them all over again. Sure enough, there was the exact recipe he was talking about. We do that sometimes. We did it again, of course, while discussing potential posts for the holidays. “What if we did the pumpkin fondue thing with a traditional bread pudding inside instead?” He was already looking up recipe ideas for exactly that. Wavelength.
While the original is savory and spectacular (seriously, it looks intimidating, but it’s actually super simple, wildly impressive, and the aroma is the stuff of foodie fairytales), this version is our sweet dessert take on the concept and is no less impressive, if we do say so ourselves. It’s also as simple as can be to make gluten free, because all you have to do is swap in a loaf of any easy-to-find gluten free bread. Done. As an homage to the cheese laden original, we added cream cheese to the custard base for extra richness. You can thank and/or curse us later. For now, though, just bask in it.
If you’re looking for “Oooo”s and “Aaaah”s from family and friends this year, look no further. You can, of course, carry on with your pie and cookie baking, but this will make a delectable and gorgeous dessert table centerpiece that your guests will be talking about for years to come. If you really want to take it over the top, set out some of our homemade fluff as an alternative to plain old vanilla sauce or whipped cream topping choices. We didn’t think of that until afterward, so there were many cries to heaven and much shaking of fists at the sky.
Among the many truly beautiful things about this recipe, it can be prepared in advance, there is no crusty baking dish to clean afterwards (because you basically eat the dish), and you can pop it in the oven while you’re enjoying your holiday meal and it will be ready in time for dessert, steaming hot and filling the house with a siren’s song made of cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg notes.
There’s also a little dark rum in there, because “Hi, have we met?” You can, of course, omit the alcohol (moment of silence) and use extra vanilla extract, but heads up, if you’re using real vanilla extract, that’s basically alcohol, too. We say go for the gusto and keep the rum. I’m beginning to wonder whether or not we’re actually descended from pirates. *sigh*
Inspired by Gourmet.
Bread Pudding adapted from Bon Appetit.
- 1 (7-pound) orange pumpkin
- 1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. allspice
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. dark rum
- 1 (12 ounce) loaf of gluten free bread, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 4 cups total)
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in lower third.
- Remove top of pumpkin by cutting a circle around stem with a small sharp knife. Scrape out seeds and any loose fibers from inside pumpkin with a spoon (including top of pumpkin; reserve seeds for another use if desired).
- In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and brown sugar with a wooden spoon. Add eggs, one at a time, then half and half. Whisk in cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, vanilla, and rum. Fold in bread.
- Pour bread pudding mixture into prepared pumpkin. Cover opening with aluminum foil then top with pumpkin lid. Wrap pumpkin stem with more foil to prevent burning.
- Place pumpkin on baking sheet and brush outside of pumpkin all over with vegetable oil. Bake until pumpkin is tender and filling is puffed, about 1 hour. Remove lid and continue to roast for another 15 minutes.
- To serve, scoop bread pudding into bowls, scraping down sides of pumpkin to incorporate pumpkin flesh into bread pudding.
Leave a Reply