STUFFED PUMPKIN WITH CRANBERRY-RAISIN BREAD PUDDING

Stuffed Pumpkin With Cranberry-Raisin Bread Pudding image

Provided by southern chef in lo

Categories Dessert

Time 1h25m

Yield 12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 18

3 lbs pumpkin
2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons margarine, melted and divided
2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine, melted
3/4 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 (16 ounce) raisin bread, loaf cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 vanilla bean, split
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter or 1 tablespoon margarine
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Steps:

Cut off top of pumpkin, reserving lid with stem. Scoop out pumpkin seeds and pulp, and reserve for another use. Brush inside of pumpkin shell with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Top with lid.
Bake at 350° for 35 minutes.
Brush inside of baked pumpkin shell with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.
Stir together eggs and next 6 ingredients; spoon pudding mixture into a lightly greased 8-inch square pan.
Bake pumpkin and bread pudding at 350° for 25 minutes. Let pumpkin cool; spoon bread pudding evenly into pumpkin shell. Serve with Lemon-Vanilla Sauce.
Note: For individual servings, substitute 12 (1/2-pound) pumpkins. Scoop out seeds and pulp; sprinkle each pumpkin shell with 1 teaspoon butter and 1 teaspoon sugar, and bake with the bread pudding. (Do not prebake as with the larger pumpkin.) Spoon bread pudding evenly into baked pumpkin shells.
For lemon vanilla sauce: Cook vanilla bean, water, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until smooth and thickened.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 387.8, Fat 19.8, SaturatedFat 8.9, Cholesterol 68.8, Sodium 267.4, Carbohydrate 50.2, Fiber 3.2, Sugar 23.2, Protein 6.4