Rootitoot Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Ingredients:
Pudding:
1 cup milk or half and half
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp molasses or maple syrup
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves or allspice
(if you don't have these^^ three spices, use 1 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice)
1 tsp vanilla
5 oz bread (about 5 slices) torn in pieces
Options (any or all):
1/3 cup crisp bacon bits or sauteed ham
2 Tbsp diced crystallized ginger
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Butterscotch Sauce
6 Tbsp butter
1 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/3 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
1/4 tsp vanilla
Directions:
Spray a cake pan, bundt pan or baking dish with cooking spray. NOTE: use a solid bottom pan for this. A springform or cheesecake pan will leak. Tear the bread into pieces and put in this pan.
In a blender or food processor, blend all the pudding ingredients except the bread and the options. Pour over the bread and stir to coat all the bread pieces. Let it soak in for a few minutes, then stir in any of the optional ingredients you want: bacon, crystallized ginger, nuts.
Cover it with tin foil. Put 1 1/2 cups water in the Instant Pot. Put the pudding on the trivet and close the pot. Make sure the valve is set to Sealing. Push the Pressure Cook (or Manual) button and use the + or – button to get to 25 minutes. Pan size doesn't matter – 25 minutes for all sizes.
While it's cooking, make the butterscotch sauce. In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the brown sugar, salt and cream. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Cook until sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add the vanilla.
When the Instant Pot beeps that it's done, leave it closed for 10 minutes, then flip the valve to Venting to release the pressure. When the pin drops, open the pot and remove the pudding. Take the foil off.
Serve the pudding warm or room temperature with a generous spoon of the butterscotch sauce over it.
Whipped cream and vanilla ice cream are always welcome at this party.