Gobble, Gobble: Pumpkin Bread Pudding from Chef TJ Lengnick of Whiskey Cake

Growing up in a military family, I didn’t always get to spend time with my extended family during the holidays; however, every so often my grandparents or an aunt or uncle would be able to come visit.  So the year before my grandfather passed away was very special since we decided to have a family reunion at Thanksgiving.  My mother and grandmothers have always been wonderful cooks, which is where a lot of my passion for food came from, but being able to assist them in preparing the food for this particular year was especially memorable .  I’ll always cherish that meal with my 20 or so family members.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Butter Rum Sauce

Pumpkin Bread

Yield: 1 9×13 pan

3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

16 oz pumpkin puree

3 cups AP flour

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

½ tsp cardamom

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

– Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray pan with non-stick coating. Mix sugar and oil, then add eggs and pumkin. Sift all dry ingredients together. Stir into pumkin mixture in three batches. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. After bread has baked and cooled, cut into 1 ½ “ cubes, and return to the oven on a sheet tray to dry it out a bit more, about 7 minutes.( this will help the bread absorb more custard and help it not to break apart into crumbs)

White chocolate custard

1 qt heavy cream

1 vanilla bean

1 cup white chocolate chips

8 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

– Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise, then scrape seeds out and add to cream in a medium sauce pot and scald. While cream is heating mix yolks and sugar together. When cream is hot add chocolate and stir until melted. Slowly temper cream into eggs,by adding 2oz of cream at a time so that you don’t scramble the eggs. You don’t want to make the custard until your pumkin bread is done and has been cubed and toasted. Place cubed bread in a large stainless bowl and pour hot custard over. Cover with plastic and allow to sit for 15 minutes gently mixing, every 5 minutes, to allow all the bread to absorb the liquid.

– In the restaurant we use 2 ¾” ring molds to bake the bread pudding itself, however at home you can use the same pan you cooked the bread in, just wash it and spray again with non stick coating. Fill pan with bread and custard that has been soaking. Place pan in a larger pan or on top of a sheet pan. Pour ½” of water in bottom pan then cover both pans with foil. Bake in oven at 350 F for 25 minutes , remove foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes.

Butter Rum sauce

4 tbsp butter

1 cup brown sugar

¾ cup heavy cream

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tbsp vanilla

¼ cup Rum ( I prefer 10 cane Rum)

– Melt butter in medium heavy bottom sauce pot, add brown sugar and cook for 8 minutes. Carefully add cream, steam will occur so don’t burn yourself. Add vanilla, salt and half of the rum and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. After sauce has cooled add remaining rum ( so that you don’t burn off all of the alcohol) you can add more rum if desired!

To serve breadpudding, cut into desired portions, top with your favorite vanilla ice cream, drizzle with sauce, and garnish with toasted pecans.

TJ Lengnick is the chef de cuisine at the Whiskey Cake, a new restaurant slated to open next month in Plano.