Stuffed Pumpkin with Cranberry-Raisin Bread Pudding

Source: Southern Living, October 2002

1 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) pumpkin*
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted and divided
2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 (16 ounce) loaf raisin bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
Lemon-Vanilla Sauce (recipe below)

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 degrees F 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 degrees F 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 pre-bake as with the larger pumpkin.) Spoon bread pudding evenly into baked pumpkin shells.

Yield: 12 servings

Lemon-Vanilla Sauce:
1 vanilla bean, split
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Cook vanilla bean, water, sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until smooth and thickened. Stir in butter and remaining ingredients, and cook until thoroughly heated. Remove vanilla bean.

Yield: 1 2/3 cups