Pumpkin Bread Pudding

When I asked Jesse Blades, chef at the Village Restaurant in Oak Bay, for this month’s feature dessert, he confessed it would take some work to get his mother to give up her secret recipe. Try it, and you’ll be glad he succeeded!

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream

¾ cup canned pumpkin puree

½ cup whole milk

½ cup white sugar

2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk

¼ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ground ginger

¼ tsp. ground allspice

¼ tsp. ground cloves

5 cups challah bread (preferably home made), cut into 1” cubes

1/3 cup melted butter

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9” x 13” glass baking dish. In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the bread and butter. Set aside. Throughly toss the challah bread cubes with melted butter in a large bowl. Pour pumpkin mixture over the challah bread cubes and mix gently (you don’t want to mash up the bread too much!) Transfer to the prepared baking dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the custard has set.

Makes 9 servings (or 6 if you really like it!)

The Village Restaurant

2518 Estevan Ave.

Oak Bay, BC

(250) 592-8311