The Hubs is coming back and your gonna be in trouble!

Isn't he just the cutest Hubs you ever did see?

Hey nah! Hey nah! The Hubs is coming back home finally! He has been off in California doing a pediatrics rotation, eating $10 sushi, riding his bike to work and enjoying the sunny weather while I've been cooped up at home coughing my head off and watching reruns of The Nanny. FYI - he gave me this cold thanks to being on peds rotation. Grr!

Anywho, I'm going to make him Pork Carnitas and this delicious pumpkin bread pudding drenched in ooey-gooey caramel sauce. Am I awesome or am I awesome? FYI - I'm awesome.

Wipe off drool from chin...YUMMO!

pumpkin bread pudding & ooey-gooey caramel sauce
(recipe adapted from epicurious.com)

Bread pudding ingredients:
2 cups half & half
1, 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1 cup (packed) plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 cups 1/2 inch cubed stale french bread
1/2 cup golden raisins (i omitted these)
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Ooey-gooey caramel sauce ingredients:
1 1/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
* i’d suggest doubling, even tripling the caramel sauce… i prefer to smothered bread pudding. & don’t worry, if there’s any leftover, you can stand over the sink & lick the spoon, i won’t tell anyone – it’ll be our little secret.

Bread pudding preparation:
preheat oven to 350 degrees. whisk half & half, pumpkin dark brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon & vanilla extract in large bowl to blend. gently fold in bread cubes (you don’t want to stir them so much they turn to mush). stir in raisins & chopped pecans (if you choose to use them). transfer mixture to 11×7 glass baking dish, although i prefer to use a large oven-safe bowl. let mixture stand 15 minutes. then bake pumpkin bread pudding until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare ooey-gooey  caramel sauce:
whisk brown sugar & butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. whisk in cream & sugar until sugar dissolves & sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.

To serve:
i prefer to serve the pumpkin bread pudding warm, sift powdered sugar over bread pudding, & drench with warm  ooey-gooey caramel sauce.