Team Caletti Pumpkin French Bread Pudding

A few weeks back the Caletti cyclocross team had a training camp. You can check out the camp summary here http://teamcaletti.com/news-2/
I was able to cook a few meals for the hungry crew. My pumpkin french toast bread pudding was a big hit. Left overs became the perfect pocket ride food for our trip home.
This recipe really came about from a family bread pudding recipe and a friends pumpkin french toast .
Pumpkin is one of those perfect sources of energy. It is high in complex B vitamins, vitamins A and C. It also is a good source for potassium, calcium and iron. The fact that pumpkin is a high fiber carbohydrate it helps to balance hour glucose levels.
I have left a few variables open to you to fool around with. You may make the pudding richer if you choice.by using 1/2&1/2 instead of milk and adding the cognac.


Prep time: 1/2 hour
Soak time. 1.5 hrs. Preferably over night
Bake time : 1 hour
Ingredients:
8-9 eggs
4-5 cups milk or half& half
1 Tbs Vanilla extract
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sliced almonds
16oz can pumpkin purée
1/2 cup golden raisins or chopped dates
Zest of 1/2 orange peel
Cubed and dried french bread
1/2 cup cognac (optional)
1 cup sugar

Optional streusel topping:

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cinnamon
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Soak the raisins in the cognac.
Combined the eggs, pumpkin, milk , sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla in a large Bowl. Whisk until smooth.

Butter 9x13 pan add your bread cubes. The drier the bread the more it will absorb.

Pour about 1/2 of the batter over the beard. This will be absorbed by bread .
sprinkle the raisins ( or dates) and orange peel zest on top of the bread.

Cover the bread and the batter and place in the fridge.
Check on the bread periodically and add more batter as its absorbed.

Once your read to bake you may add the sliced almonds or the optional streusel topping *.

Cover pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for about 15-25 minutes more. You may check the pudding with a
Knife. It should be clean when inserted into the pudding.

Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut and serve.

* combined flour,cold butter, and brown sugar in a food processor until ingredients corymb together. You can mash it together with a fork like I do.