Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Warm Caramel Sauce

1 (1 to 1 1/4 pound) pumpkin
3 1/4 cups milk
1 1/2 cups dairy eggnog
5 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup golden raisins
8 to 10 ounce French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (8 cups)
Warm Caramel Sauce

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut pumpkin into quarters; remove seeds. Discard seeds or save for roasting. Place pumpkin, cut-side down, on a lightly greased baking pan. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until almost tender. Remove peel; cut baked pumpkin into 3/4-inch pieces.

In a large mixing bowl stir together milk, eggnog, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice. Sprinkle raisins on bottom of an ungreased 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Spread bread over raisins. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread. Carefully stir in cubed pumpkin.

Bake for 50 minutes or until the pudding is puffy and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool pudding slightly (pudding will fall in center). Drizzle with Warm Caramel Sauce.

Yields 12 servings.

Warm Caramel Sauce:
10 vanilla caramel squares
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon anise seed, crushed
1/4 teaspoon rum flavoring, if desired

In a heavy saucepan melt caramels with whipping cream over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in anise seed and rum flavoring, if desired. Cool slightly before serving.