Bread Pudding in Pumpkins

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 medium pie pumpkins (about 3 pounds each)
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 6 cups cubed crustless day-old bread
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup raisins

Instructions

1. Wash pumpkins; cut off tops and discard. Scoop out seeds and loose fibers (save seeds for another use if desired).
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract and nutmeg.
3. Stir in the bread cubes, pineapple, walnuts and raisins. Spoon into pumpkin shells.
4. Place on a greased 15 x 10 x 1 inch jellyroll pan. Loosely cover tops with foil.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 1/4 hours.
6. Uncover; bake for 15 to 30 minutes longer or until pumpkin is soft and a knife inserted near the center of bread pudding comes out clean.
7. To serve, scoop bread pudding and cooked pumpkin into dessert dishes.