Stuffed Pumpkin with Cranberry-Raisin Bread Pudding and Lemon-Vanilla Sauce
Why I Love This Recipe
Here's one of my Halloween entries for the contest. It makes a gorgeous display for Thanksgiving too.
Stuffed Pumpkin with Cranberry-Raisin Bread Pudding and Lemon-Vanilla Sauce
Ingredients You'll Need
1 pumpkin* -- (2 1/2- to 3-pound)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter -- melted and divided
2 tablespoons sugar -- divided
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter -- melted
3/4 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup chopped pecans -- toasted
1 raisin bread loaf -- (16-ounce) cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
Lemon-Vanilla Sauce
1 vanilla bean -- split
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Directions
Cut off top of pumpkin, reserving lid with stem. Scoop out pumpkin seeds and pulp, and reserve for another use. Brush inside of pumpkin shell with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Top with lid.
Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.
Brush inside of baked pumpkin shell with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
Stir together eggs and next 6 ingredients; spoon pudding mixture into a lightly greased 8-inch square pan.
Bake pumpkin and bread pudding at 350° for 25 minutes. Let pumpkin cool; spoon bread pudding evenly into pumpkin shell. Serve with Lemon-Vanilla Sauce.
Note: For individual servings, substitute 12 (1/2-pound) pumpkins. Scoop out seeds and pulp; sprinkle each pumpkin shell with 1 teaspoon butter and 1 teaspoon sugar, and bake with the bread pudding. (Do not prebake as with the larger pumpkin.) Spoon bread pudding evenly into baked pumpkin shells.
Lemon-Vanilla Sauce
Cook vanilla bean, water, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until smooth and thickened.
Stir in butter and remaining ingredients, and cook until thoroughly heated. Remove vanilla bean
