The Inn At Sandwich Center's Pumpkin Bread Pudding With Caramel Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Place toasted bread cubes in pan.

Combine cream and milk in large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Take off heat and stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, honey or brown sugar, eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and pumpkin (pre-mix all these if you want in mixing bowl prior to adding to milk and cream). Pour over bread and combine.

Place this baking pan in a large roasting pan with about one inch of water. Bake until set (approximately 45 minutes). You can test with toothpick. Make sure the pudding is almost done before beginning the caramel sauce.

For Caramel Sauce: Place sugar and water in small saucepan over high heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Then cook without stirring, just washing down the side of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water; do this on medium heat until sauce has turned color of caramel (approximately 15 minutes).

Take syrup off heat. Let cool slightly, then slowly add cream and butter. Be careful that hot syrup does not spatter. Stir until smooth.

Take out pudding from oven and remove from the pan of water. When sauce is just completed, pour it over the pudding then serve with fresh whipped cream, while warm if you prefer.

For Whipped Cream: Chill a bowl in the freezer. Whip heavy cream. Add vanilla extract and confectioners sugar to taste.

Recipe Source: The Inn at Sandwich Center, Cape Cod, Massachusetts