Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

My hubby does not eat a lot of baking, but this is one recipe I tried that he loved.  He ate the whole pan full.

This recipe is from http://www.faithfullyglutenfree.com/2015/10/gluten-free-pumpkin-bread-pudding.html

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

image from: http://www.faithfullyglutenfree.com/2015/10/gluten-free-pumpkin-bread-pudding.html

Ingredients

Pumpkin Bread Pudding:

• 8 cups (2 liters) cubed gluten free bread (older, stale bread works great. I used a loaf of day old Millet Sandwich Bread)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups (500 ml) half & half cream (10%)
• 2 cups (500 ml) pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) brown sugar, packed
• 3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) whiskey or bourbon (optional)
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) teaspoon salt

Easy Caramel Sauce:

• 1/2 cup (125 ml) brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) heavy (whipping) cream
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Instructions

Pumpkin Bread Pudding:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Lightly grease a 3 quart baking dish.
2. Drizzle the melted butter over the bread cubes, and gently stir to distribute. Pour the bread cubes into the prepared baking pan.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs and yolk, maple syrup, whiskey, spices, vanilla, and salt. Pour this mixture over the bread cubes, pressing them down to ensure they are all coated.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the custard has set up. If it is still a little jiggly in the middle, that is OK, it will set up as the bread pudding cools.

Easy Caramel Sauce:

1. White the Pumpkin Bread Pudding is baking, you can prepare the Caramel Sauce.
2. In a small saucepan, over low-medium heat, combine the brown sugar, butter, and maple syrup. Stir until the butter has melted, and the brown sugar has dissolved. You do not want the mixture to boil at all though, so watch it carefully.
3. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the cream, vanilla, and salt. Keep warm, or reheat slightly, when you are ready to drizzle it over the top of the Pumpkin Bread Pudding.