CARROT CAKE BREAD PUDDING

Friend Carol served the Mexican Train group this fabulous dessert at our last gathering. Everyone said they were stuffed after her marvelous lunch but no one had trouble eating and enjoying her delicious dessert a couple of hours later.

You can prepare the bread pudding mixture the night before and refrigerate it overnight and then make the rest the next day.

CARROT CAKE BREAD PUDDING

BREAD PUDDING:
Butter for greasing the 9 x 13 - inch baking dish
1         loaf crusty multigrain bread
1-1/2  cups grated carrots
1        cup finely chopped pecans
8        large eggs
2        cups milk
1/2     cup heavy cream
1/2     cup sugar (Carol used stevia)
1/2     cup firmly packed brown sugar (Carol used 1/4 cup brown sugar baking blend)
4-1/2  teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4     teaspoon ground cinnamon

TOPPING:
1/2      cup flour
1/2      cup firmly packed brown sugar 
1         teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt
1         stick (8 tablespoons) cold salted butter, cut into pieces
1/2      cup chopped pecans

GLAZE:
4         ounces cream cheese
3/4      cup powdered sugar
2         tablespoons milk
1         tablespoon lemon juice

PINEAPPLE SAUCE
2         tablespoons rum
1         tablespoon brown sugar
1         teaspoon vanilla
1         large can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple
1/4      cup corn syrup
1         tablespoon cornstarch
1         teaspoon lemon juice


Grease the 9 x 13 - inch baking dish with butter. Tear the bread into chunks and evenly distribute in the baking dish. Sprinkle the carrots and pecans over the bread.

Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk together with the milk, cream, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour the mixture into the baking dish over the bread chunks. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until needed - preferably overnight.

For the topping: Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Cut in the butter pieces using a pastry cutter until it resembles fine pebbles. Fold in the pecan pieces and store in a resealable plastic bag in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

When you are ready to bake the bread, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the bread mixture from refrigerator and discard the plastic wrap. Remove the topping and sprinkle over the bread mixture.

Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, bread pudding-like texture or 1 hour for a firmer, more crisp texture.

For the glaze:  Add the cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, milk, and lemon juice and mix until smooth remembering to scrape the sides of the bowl. Keep in a small airtight bowl while the bread is baking. 

Also prepare the Pineapple Sauce while bread is baking: Drain pineapple and add rum and let sit for 30 minutes.

Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and dash of salt in a sauce pan. Add the pineapple/rum and the corn syrup. Over medium heat, bring mixture to a boil and stir until mixture thickens - 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and lemon juice.

Drizzle glaze over baked bread pudding.

Cut into squares 

and top with pineapple sauce.