In food writer Nik Sharma’s pumpkin bread pudding, the custard is infused with ghee, an Indian cousin of clarified butter. Ghee is simmered longer than traditional clarified butter, until the milk solids begin to brown, imparting it with an aromatic nuttiness similar to browned butter. Served with a slight drizzle of sweet and tart pomegranate molasses, this custardy bread pudding is the epitome of autumn comfort food. For more of Nik Sharma’s recipes, purchase our September/October issue!
Ghee-Infused Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Pomegranate Molasses
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (57 grams) ghee, melted, plus a little extra for greasing the baking pan
- 1 loaf stale sweet bread (567 grams), such as challah, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
- 2½ cups (600 grams) whole milk
- 1 cup (237 grams) pumpkin purée
- ¾ cup (165 grams) moscovado sugar
- 1 whole Madagascar vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
- 4 large eggs (200 grams)
- ½ cup (170 grams) pomegranate molasses, room temperature
Instructions
- Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking dish with a little melted ghee. Line pan with overlapping bread slices to fit entire dish.
- In the container of a blender, place milk, pumpkin purée, sugar, melted ghee, vanilla bean seeds, and eggs; blend on low speed until combined and smooth. Pour mixture over bread, and place vanilla bean on top. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours to allow bread to absorb the liquid.
- Place a wire rack at mid-level in oven, and preheat to 350°F (180°C).
- Bake until top is golden brown and custard is jiggly but set, 25 to 30 minutes, covering with foil halfway through baking to prevent excess browning, if necessary. Serve warm or at room temperature. Drizzle each serving with pomegranate molasses.
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